The lean diet was invented in the 1980s by American nutritionists for clinical use.Initially, people whose BMI exceeded 35 were prescribed a strict low-calorie diet, but later many people who were losing weight began to practice it, as it allows you to lose 5 to 10 kg by burning fat on the hips and waist.
What kind of diet is this?
The lean diet consists of alternating several low-calorie and fasting days.It is due to the low daily calorie intake that the fat burning process begins.However, for the same reason, during the diet it is necessary to refrain from mental and physical stress, as well as stressful situations.Outdoor walks and spa treatments are recommended.
Before starting a lean diet, you should visit a medical center and consult a doctor.In addition, it is recommended to follow it under the supervision of a specialist, since such a diet can cause an exacerbation of chronic diseases and the development of new ailments.

If the diet is extremely difficult to tolerate and causes general weakness, dizziness and reduced performance, you need to switch to a more balanced diet.
Main rules
The lean diet requires compliance with the following rules:
- follow the menu scrupulously (any snacks are prohibited!);
- distribute the proposed list of products into 3-4 meals and chew thoroughly to create the impression of a normal meal;
- follow the drinking regime - drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day (tea and herbal infusions are allowed, but without sugar);
- You can drink plain pure water with the addition of a slice of lemon or lime;
- The last meal should be eaten 3 hours before going to bed, otherwise a late snack can cause a slowdown in the metabolic process, reducing the effectiveness of the diet;
- Some days the diet includes freshly squeezed juices, but banana and grape juices should be avoided, because they are high in calories, and you should also refrain from pomegranate drink, because it is bad for the stomach.
Store-bought drinks are strictly prohibited as they contain preservatives, dyes and other substances harmful to long-term storage of the product.In addition, they lack vitamins and microelements, which are destroyed during heat treatment of fruits.
Getting into the diet
Takes 3 days.First of all, you need to exclude the following foods from your diet:
- sweets and baked goods;
- fried and fatty foods;
- carbonated and alcoholic drinks.
The emphasis in nutrition should be placed on plant foods: vegetables, fruits, dried fruits.It is recommended to prepare dietary vegetable, meat and fish salads, as well as natural juices and cocktails.
Menu options
The diet varies depending on the duration of the diet.It can be observed from 7 to 20 days.Of course, it is worth starting with a weekly option to test your abilities and also evaluate the effectiveness of the diet.
For 7 days
It will allow you to lose about 5 kg.The weekly diet is this:
- Day 1.Drink 1 liter of milk.Also, as part of your drinking regimen, it is important to drink your daily amount of water.You can start your day with a cup of black coffee, but it is advisable to give preference to green tea.
- Day 2.Eat 200 g of ricotta and drink 800 ml of tomato or citrus juice.Any drink with added banana, mango and grapes is prohibited.
- Day 3.Drink 1 liter of mineral water without gas.
- Day 4.Cook 4 potatoes without salt or seasonings.Drink 800 ml of sugar-free juice.
- Day 5.Eat 5 apples, preferably the green variety.
- Day 6.Eat 200 g of dietary meat (chicken breast, beef, turkey) and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 7.Drink 1 liter of kefir.

As part of your diet, you should choose only low-fat fermented milk products.
For 14 days
The results of the two-week diet are promising: minus about 8 kg.Daily diet:
- Day 1.Drink any amount of green tea throughout the day.
- Day 2.Drink 800 ml of kefir.
- Day 3.Drink any amount of green tea or mint (lemon balm).A sweetener, stevia, can be used as a sweetener.
- Day 4.Drink only non-carbonated mineral water.
- Day 5.Drink 1 liter of water and eat 1 apple, divided into 2 doses.If desired, the fruit can be baked.
- Day 6.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- Day 7.Drink green tea or mint without restrictions.
- Day 8.Drink 1 liter of skimmed milk (skimmed milk).
- Day 9.Eat two fresh or cooked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
- Day 10.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 11.Eat 400-600 g of fresh cucumbers.
- Day 12.Drink green tea or mint without restrictions.
- Day 13.Drink 1 liter of milk.
- Day 14.Eat three fresh or cooked apples and drink 1 liter of water.
For 20 days
This is the longest lasting diet option that will allow you to lose about 10 kg.You need to start it with a 7-day diet, and the menu from the 8th to the 20th day looks like this:
- Day 8.Eat stewed vegetables, lean meat and dairy products in reasonable quantities.
- Day 9.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink freshly squeezed juice.You can make a smoothie with different fruits, except banana and grapes.
- Day 10.Eat 200 g of lean fish (pollock, lemonfish) or shrimp.Drink the juice.
- Day 11.Cook 4 potatoes and drink the juice.
- Day 12.Eat 5 green apples.It can be baked.
- Day 13.Eat 200 g of diet meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 14.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 15.This is a “rest” day where you can step away from your diet.You can eat any healthy food.Preference should be given to porridges, soups with a weak meat or fish broth, and salads.
- Day 16.Eat 5 apples.
- Day 17.Eat 200 g of meat and drink 800 ml of juice.
- Day 18.Drink 1 liter of kefir.
- Day 19.Eat 200 g of cottage cheese and drink 1 liter of water.
- Day 20.Eat 1 apple and drink 1 liter of kefir.
Abandon the diet
It is a mistake to assume that after a lean diet you can immediately return to eating normally.This will cause not only the “return” of the lost kilograms, but will also cause harm to your health.The fact is that during the days of the diet, the body is weaned from digestion of normal food due to the reduction in the quantity and quality of digestive enzymes obtained.So it is necessary to gradually “learn” to eat correctly so as not to cause stomach and intestinal problems.

When creating a menu, it is necessary to take into account that the diet should be dominated by soft foods with a minimum content of coarse dietary fiber and fiber.Taking this rule into account, the scheme for exiting the diet is as follows:
- Day 1.Prepare a light vegetable soup without salt.Eat it in 4-5 doses, and the portions should be moderate: 200-250 ml each.It is forbidden to add beans and pasta to the soup.
- Day 2.Include steamed vegetables and baked or boiled fish in your diet.Such food will saturate the body with useful substances, but will not disrupt the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.You can include milk and herbal teas in your diet.
- Day 3.Introduce a portion of boiled meat without skin, bones and layers of fat.If desired, you can prepare cutlets baked or steamed.Broccoli puree or other boiled vegetables are perfect as a side dish.
- Day 4.To activate the stomach and intestinal motility, prepare viscous porridge for breakfast: oatmeal, barley or corn.It is better not to add salt to porridge, but you can cook it with milk.You can introduce semolina and rice into your diet after a week.
- Days 5-7.Gradually increase the portions and their calorie content up to the daily requirement.
- Days 8 – 10.Include a limited amount of heavy foods, which are recommended to be served in the morning to allow digestion during the day.In any case, you should refrain from eating foods that are too fatty and high in calories.
The amount of coffee and tea should be limited to 1-2 cups per day.
Recipes
With a lean diet you won't have to indulge yourself with original dishes, but it is worth considering recipes that will make following a low-calorie diet much easier:
- Herbal decoction.Combine a bunch of lemon balm and 1 tbsp.the.green tea.Transfer the raw materials to a kettle and pour 1 liter of 90 degree water.Infuse and drink, diluting with warm water.
- Sweet green tea.Combine 1.5 tbsp.the.green tea and 1 tbsp.the.stevia herb.Prepare 1 liter of water at 95 degrees, leave for 20 minutes and you can drink.
- Baked potatoes.Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the potatoes, making cross cuts first to prevent them from exploding.Transfer the pan to the oven for 30 minutes, preheated to 180 degrees.During cooking, potatoes can be sprinkled with water or dill tincture.
- Baked apples.Cover a baking sheet with parchment and place the fruit, which is baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees.Golden apples are best suited for baking.
On diet days when drinking juice is allowed, you can prepare the following fresh fruit juices:
- Peel 4 oranges and squeeze the juice.Add 100 g of raspberries and cranberries.Blend in the blender, adding 3-4 ice cubes.Leave for 2-3 minutes and drink.
- Peel 2-3 grapefruits and 500 g of mandarins.Squeeze the citrus juice, combine, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon, mix and drink.
- Peel 4 green apples and 1 pear.Remove the cores, combine and blend in the blender.Add 1 stalk of celery, 3-4 ice cubes and beat again.If necessary you can add cold water.
Warnings
A lean diet can cause gastrointestinal disease, including gastritis.So it is important to follow it under the supervision of a doctor to stop losing weight in time.In addition, metabolic disorders, psychological problems and a weakened immune system, as well as hair loss and brittle nails are possible after such a diet.So, to normalize the condition, it is important to properly stop the diet and take a course of vitamins.
Contraindications
The lean diet is strictly not recommended for those who have a normal body mass index and wish to lose only a few kilograms.It is also contraindicated for people with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys, as well as chronic diseases.Nursing mothers, pregnant women and teenagers should benefit from this method of losing weight, since a deficiency of vitamins and beneficial elements will have an extremely negative impact on their health.
So, the lean diet is a strict low-calorie diet developed for people with a body mass index of 35 or more. You should adhere to such a diet only after consulting a doctor and under his close supervision in order to minimize its negative impact on the body.

























