ABC Diet: What It Is And Menu Options

The dieters, doctors, athletes and nutritionists have worked together to come up with many different diets that differ in their effectiveness, food choices and durations. Some of these programs allow you to lose up to 11 pounds per month without harming your health, while others promise to lose up to 26 pounds. However, the most effective, hardest and most efficient weight loss program recognized the famous Ana Boot Camp diet, in honor of which the method and was named “ABC Diet”. According to reviews, for 50 days of starvation and almost no calories, weight loss is without exaggeration 55 pounds.

The essence of the ABC diet, important rules and main advantages

This program is rightly considered a high-professional low-calorie diet, based on a clearly thought-out menu and regular exercise. The ration provides a variety of products, so you can compose the menu yourself, according to your preferences and comfort. The program was created in the United States for the project “Ana Boot Camp”, created for girls who want to lose a few sizes in an emergency period of time. Almost army training and exertion awaited the girls for 50 days, while a strict and attentive trainer demanded strict adherence to all rules and regular exercise.

Losing weight on the diet occurs by alternating the calories content of the daily menu, which allows you to cheat the metabolism, accelerating it to its maximum limits. Small and light portions also reduce your stomach volume, which allows you to get full faster with small snacks. Useful foods in the diet (plant fibers, proteins, slow carbohydrates and others) help to saturate the body and at the same time cleanse it of toxins, salts of heavy metals, toxins, free radicals and accumulated fluid. With the reduction of water in tissues and in the process of burning fat cells, your weight rapidly goes away, allowing you to lose weight by not one but two or more sizes in just 1.5 months.

The diet is based on a low-calorie, but balanced diet that requires you to give up the usual fat-forming foods and switch to healthy foods. All foods available in the human diet were divided into 3 groups according to the colors of the traffic light. The red forbidden color (group “A”) symbolizes the group of foods that should be permanently and irrevocably eliminated from the menu (if you want to keep your weight at a level, forget about this group). The color yellow (group “B”) seems to hint that you should stop and think before you eat. Foods in this group should be eaten cautiously and only before 6 p.m. The green color (group “C”) gives the right to eat healthy and low-calorie products at any time. Below in the article we will get acquainted with what foods are included in this or that group.

Important rules for the ABC diet:

1. The daily diet should consist only of snacks – 5 or 6 small portions to normalize digestion, gastric secretion and reduce the volume of the stomach.
2. All meals should be eaten fresh or lightly heat-treated (steaming or grilling, boiling, stewing, stewing).
3. Immediately after eating, it is strictly forbidden to go to bed or, conversely, to strenuous exercise. It is enough just to take a walk in the fresh air, in order for the food to settle comfortably in the stomach.
4. The lion’s share of the menu should contain vegetable foods with fiber (fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs). Also, do not forget to include proteins and complex carbohydrates in your diet. Fats in the menu should be limited to a minimum, especially as they come from other foods, such as milk and fish. Simple or fast carbohydrates should be completely excluded.
5. A healthy diet is not enough for intensive weight loss. Combine the diet with a contrast shower or a bath, which will help to normalize blood flow in the body and contribute to the normal functioning of the endocrine system. Also, do not forget to exercise, but carefully monitor your well-being and do not overload the body in case of weakness, loss of strength or other side effects of a low-calorie diet.
6. Drinking regime during a diet is necessary to observe – the put 67 fluid ounces per day (purified water without gas and salt, vegetable and fruit freshies, protein cocktails, nonfat milk and dairy drinks, green tea, herbal infusions, rosehip infusion).
7. Despite the free diet, try not to eat 2-3 hours before going to bed. As snacks for the night in case of strong hunger and discomfort are allowed unsweetened fruit or a portion of fat-free dairy products. The calories value of such a snack should be within 150 kcal. It is prohibited to eat immediately an hour before going to bed.
8. It is very useful and recommended to take additional dietary supplements and vitamin-mineral complexes.
9. During a large feast or celebration you should not sit with an empty plate and look with sad eyes at the chewing relatives. You can safely allow yourself 2 any dishes (no more) and wash them down with a yeast-free alcohol (vodka, martini, whiskey, cognac, table wine). One condition – as the main dish you can choose either fish or meat, but not both products.

The main advantages of the ABC diet:

• Developed by a professional team of doctors and athletes, it is guaranteed to lose anywhere from 22 to 55-66 pounds of excess weight in 50 days, depending on your initial situation;
• The diet encourages the consumption of exceptional healthy food for 50 days, which has a beneficial effect on the overall condition of the body, filling it with vitamins, minerals and trace elements;
• The diet is allowed to be used with vigorous physical activity – this is facilitated by the complex carbohydrates and proteins in the menu;
• The program allows you to develop healthy eating habits – a split diet of snacks, plenty of drinking, no meals at night, the competent drawing up the menu by calculating the calories content of each product;
• The diet is based on a variety of products, which makes the diet interesting and not boring, and you can combine the ingredients yourself into healthy dishes;
• The metabolism is boosted to a high level;
• Digestion and gastric juice secretion are improved due to the large amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet;
• The body is cleansed of harmful components and excess fluid, which contributes to weight loss and comprehensive recovery;
• All products from the menu are familiar to the average person, common in markets and supermarkets.

ABC diet: available products and menu options

So, let’s start discussing the classic version of the ABC diet, on the basis of which women from the “Ana Boot Camp” camp and many international stars lose weight.

The classic ABC diet for 50 days.

The diet, as you remember, is designed for 50 days, during which we pile on the “green” group of products, eat until 6 p.m. dishes from the “yellow” group and completely limit the “red” ingredients. Let’s take a closer look at our allowed and prohibited foods.

Red group – forbidden products:

1. Semi-finished foods, fried foods, fast food;
2. Gravies, sauces, dressings, mayonnaise and other industrial variants;
3. Fatty meat and poultry, by-products, lard;
4. Fatty fish (catfish);
5. Sweets and desserts (industrial pastries, confectionery);
6. Bread products made of wheat;
7. Alcohol (except permitted);
8. Drinks (energy drinks, sodas, packaged juices and drinks in sticks);
9. Dairy products (milk, ice cream);
10. Cereals (semolina, wheat).

Yellow group – it is possible, if carefully:

1. Non-starchy porridge;
2. Pasta made of durum wheat;
3. Pastries made of puff pastry without added sugar or fatty creams;
4. Lean meat and poultry, natural sausages and sausages, cured meats and hams;
5. Healthy sweets (caramel, candy, natural chocolate without flavoring and additives, dried fruits, marshmallows, marmalade, meringue);
6. Low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese, soft and hard cheese);
7. Fruits and berries, including sweet fruits;
8. Spices and seasonings;
9. Pickles, marinades, ketchup, adjika, tomato paste;
10. Coffee drinks, including hot chocolate and cocoa.

The green group – enjoy your meal:

1. Lean to medium-fat fish, seafood;
2. Vegetables and garden greens;
3. Healthy fruits (citrus fruits, pomegranates, apples, peaches);
4. Chicken and quail eggs (daily rate of no more than 2/5 units, respectively);
5. Vegetable oil (olive oil, linseed oil, unrefined sunflower oil).

So, as I mentioned earlier, weight loss during the ABC diet occurs by alternating daily calories, which does not allow the metabolism to slow down and promotes even weight loss for a month and a half. Six days during this period you will have to completely unload and fast, leaving in your diet only plenty of drinking. The rest of the menu you compose yourself on the basis of the three (or rather, two permitted) groups of products, observing the allowable calories content for a particular day of the program.

The meal plan for the ABC diet is shown below.

The first decade of 10 days.

• Daily calories content of 500 kilocalories – days 1, 2, 9.
• Daily calories value of 400 kcal – days 4, 8.
• Daily calories of 300 kcal – days 3, 7.
• Daily calories 200 kcal – day 6.
• Daily calories 100 kcal – day 5.
• The last day of the decade – full unloading and drinking regime.

Second decade.

• Daily calories of 400 kcal – day 13.
• Daily calories of 350 kcal – day 14.
• Daily calories 250 kcal – day 15.
• Daily calories 200 kcal – days 12, 16, 18.
• Daily calories 150 kcal – day 11.
• Daily calories 100 kcal – day 19.
• Days of discharge in this decade 17 and 20 – drinking liquids and cleansing.

Third decade.

• Daily calories intake of 300 kcal – days 21, 30.
• Daily calories intake of 250 kcal – day 22.
• Daily calories intake of 200 kcal – days 23, 28, 29.
• Daily calories intake of 150 kcal – day 24
• Daily calories intake of 100 kcal – days 25, 27.
• Daily calories intake of 50 kcal – day 26.

Fourth decade.

• Daily calories value of 800 kcal – day 31.
• Daily calories of 500 kcal – day 37.
• Daily calories 450 kcal – days 35, 38.
• Daily calories 400 kcal – day 39.
• Daily calories 350 kcal – days 34, 40.
• Daily calories 250 kcal – day 33.
• We go hungry on days 32 and 36.

Fifth decade.

• Daily calories of 300 kcal – days 41, 47.
• Daily calories 250 kcal – days 42, 45.
• Daily calories of 200 kcal – days 43, 44, 46, 48.
• Daily calories content of 150 kcal – day 49.
• Daily calories value of 100 kcal – day 5.
• The unloading day in this decade is the last day of the diet 50.

While following the program, be sure to take vitamin and mineral complexes and drink plenty of fluids, especially on fasting days.

You can see examples of menus with different calories below.

A day with daily calories of 500 kcal.

1. Breakfast with a glass of green tea or natural brewed coffee without sugar or other additives.
2. Snack is whole-grain toast, possible with a thin slice of low-fat cheese.
3. For lunch we cook vegetable soup made of cauliflower, chicken filet and celery.
4. A light salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus and garden greens is a snack.
5. Dinner consists of steamed cauliflower or Chinese cabbage (about 3.5 oz) and boiled chicken filet (1.7 oz).

A day with daily calories of 400 kcal.

1. Eat breakfast with mashed peaches (up to 4.2 oz.) or any fruit within the calories range of this fruit.
2. Lunch may include a serving of oatmeal with water (2.1 oz.).
3. Dine on pear fruit puree (up to 4.2 oz.). Eat 1 cucumber.

A day with daily calories of 300 kcal.

1. Breakfast is 3.5 oz. package of low-fat cottage cheese.
2. Lunch is steamed chicken filet with garden greens (3.5 oz serving).
3. For dinner, eat 2 unsweetened apples or one grapefruit.

A day with daily calories of 250 kcal.

1. Breakfast consists of a portion of non-fat pressed cottage cheese.
2. For lunch, stewed white cabbage and 1 chicken egg (7 oz).
3. For dinner, any mashed unsweetened fruit (up to 3.5-4 oz).

A day with daily calories of 100 kcal.

1. Breakfast is 6.3 oz. salad of sauerkraut, garden greens, and carrots.
2. Lunch consists of seaweed salad, possibly with spices (6.3 oz.).
3. Dinner consists of a vegetable or fruit baby food (for example, a combination of zucchini and apple).

The ABC diet “Traffic Light” with no restrictions on duration.

An alternative version of the popular ABC diet, which is considered by doctors to be healthier and more balanced, as well as tolerable for the average person accustomed to a normal three meals a day.

The menu is based on differentiating foods by traffic light colors, which is very similar to the ranking for the original version of the diet. The red group still prohibits the use of certain foods, the yellow group limits the time of snacks to 6 p.m., and the green group allows the use of all ingredients included in it at any time.

Weight loss on a balanced version of the diet is about 2.2 pounds in 7 days, and how much to stick to a healthy diet is up to you, because you can eat according to the ABC Traffic Light scheme at least a lifetime.

The red group of banned foods for the ABC Traffic Light diet completely duplicates the original group, including sour cream and processed cheese.

The yellow group also corresponds to the original.

The green group of healthy foods looks like this:

1. Lean saltwater fish and seafood;
2. Vegetables (especially cucumbers, carrots, leaf lettuce, cabbage in any form) and garden greens;
3. Fruits (all also pomegranates, apples, peaches and citrus fruits), unsweetened berries, freshies and morsels from them;
4. Chicken and quail eggs in a known quantity;
5. Buckwheat grits;
6. Dairy products – kefir, fat-free yogurt without sugar or flavorings;
7. Vegetable oil (especially olive oil and flax seed oil);
8. Whole-grain diet breads and yeast-free pastries (rye, bran).

Drinking ration for the diet is made up of ordinary water without gas and salt, natural vegetable and fruit freshies, smoothies, morsels, sugar-free compotes, herbal infusions, rosehip decoction, coffee drinks without additives. As a guest you can always indulge in alcohol allowed in the original diet, but with carbonated drinks (champagne) and beer have to say goodbye, preferably forever.

The rules of the ABC diet Traffic Light coincide with the original: a fractional meal, minimal heat-processed foods, plenty of drinking and others. Also during the diet is useful to arrange once every 7 days unloading day on one of the products of the “green” list. For example, combine apples with plenty of fluids or eat only fat-free cottage cheese all day long.

The lightened version of the diet helps you to exercise fully and not suffer from the many side effects of the original diet.

How to quit the ABC diet

The creators of the diet recommend leaving the diet very carefully and gradually. The first 5 days after the end of the diet diet, you should adhere to a daily calories intake of no more than 500 kcal. Beginning with the 6th day, add wholemeal toast to breakfast, liquid porridge in water, steamed omelets with low-fat milk. At lunch time, include a portion of boiled or stewed lean meat or fish. Dinner should remain light – vegetable puree, cottage cheese, salads, and omelets. That is how you should eat until the end of the month, gradually increasing the daily calories intake to 800-1000 kcal.

It is not necessary to leave the ABC Traffic Light variant, it is enough just to make a reasonable composition of your diet, leaning on the “green” group, limiting the “yellow” in the evening and excluding “red products” from your diet as much as possible.

Disadvantages of the ABC diet and contraindications

According to people’s reviews, the ABC diet is considered excruciating and unbearable, which in addition to effective weight loss entails a baggage of side effects and harmful effects on health. On the negative aspects of the diet (and there are many), some sources simply gloss over, ruining the body of naive young girls who want to lose weight for the beach season. We will dot all the “i “s and give a list of the main disadvantages of this method:

1. Hungry, hard, low-calorie, so it is a real test of willpower and can have serious consequences for the body.
2. There are many contraindications and side effects (blood sugar fluctuations, dizziness, nausea, cramps and stomach cramps, weakness, loss of energy, irritability, apathy, insomnia, nervousness, sensitivity to external temperature). There appears a predisposition to osteoporosis, anorexia, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, thyroid and pancreas. There is a deterioration of the skin, loss and fragility of hair and nails, loss of visual acuity. Menstrual cycle disorders and hormonal imbalances are also possible.
3. The calories content of the daily diet may fall to 200-100 kcal per day, which is 10 times less than recommended by doctors and athletes.
4. Very high frequency of breakdowns.
5. People with insignificant weight will not notice outstanding results of 22-44 pounds, but will severely ruin their health up to anorexia (cases have been reported).
6. Contrary to the recommendations of the authors of the diet, it is categorically not combined with physical activity due to the lack of normal protein and energy potential. The diet also leads to a drop in pre-existing athletic performance and total depletion of muscle mass.
7. Because of the rapid weight loss there are noticeable stretch marks, cellulite, flabby skin, sagging abdomen, and reduction in muscle volume.
8. At the end of the diet the metabolism slows down, so you have to sit on a split diet of small portions for the rest of your life and forget about night snacks.

Of course, most of these disadvantages apply to the classic version of the diet. But the version “Traffic Light” is considered more balanced and useful for the body, and the percentage of side effects is much lower.

As for contraindications, the ABC diet is possible only for healthy and athletic people who do not suffer from increased appetite. Such a diet is categorically prohibited in the following cases:

1. Childhood, old age, and adolescence;
2. Presence of chronic and inflammatory diseases;
3. Pregnancy and lactation;
4. Adolescence, childhood and old age;
5. Hormonal problems, menopause;
6. Post-operative period, rehabilitation;
7. Diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system, somatic diseases;
8. Diseases of the endocrine system, pancreas and thyroid gland;
9. Diseases of the urogenital, excretory (kidney), liver, gastrointestinal (colitis, ulcers, hyperacidity, gastritis);
10. Psychological disorders, a predisposition to anorexia;
11. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension (requires monitoring).

In conclusion, the ABC diet is a highly controversial and potentially dangerous eating plan that is not recommended for most people. Although some people can achieve short-term weight loss on this diet, extreme calorie restriction and lack of balanced nutrition can lead to serious health risks such as nutritional deficiencies, loss of muscle mass and eating disorders. It is important to prioritize long-term health and well-being over quick fixes, and always consult a health care professional before starting any new diet or exercise program. Rather than resorting to restrictive diets such as the ABC diet, focus on forming healthy habits such as regular exercise, balanced eating and stress management that can support sustained weight loss and overall health.