One of the most common questions people have when they are trying to lose weight is “How do I go about doing it?” You can try many different diets to see which one works best for you. However, not every diet works well and some may even have an adverse effect on your health.
The chicken and broccoli diet is a diet that has been circulating the internet as a way of helping people lose weight, supposedly without having any adverse effects on their health. This article will discuss what this diet entails, its pros and cons, and if it’s worth trying or not.
To lose weight, you must be committed to following a diet plan that decreases caloric intake and consists of nutritional foods (11). With the chicken and broccoli diet, you will consume approximately 1,100 calories per day. Not only is this a low amount of calories, but they mostly come from lean proteins and vegetables, with very few carbohydrates.
An alternative to this is the chicken, brown rice, and broccoli diet. Here, you will consume approximately 1,200 calories, mostly from lean proteins and vegetables and a few more carbohydrates than the chicken and broccoli diet.
Yes, you can lose weight by just eating chicken and broccoli, as long as you control your portions.
Eating just enough chicken and broccoli to maintain a calorie deficit (consuming fewer calories than you burn) will result in weight loss.
However, eating too much chicken and broccoli to the point that you exceed your daily caloric requirement can hinder weight loss.
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The chicken and broccoli diet typically consists of a shorter 10-14-day plan.
On the first day, you eat broccoli and drink unsweetened black tea for breakfast, consume a grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables such as broccoli or spinach for lunch, and enjoy another grilled chicken breast with more steamed vegetables for dinner.
This cycle continues throughout the entire diet plan. Both chicken and broccoli offer essential nutrition.
On this diet, your caloric intake is incredibly low, which will lead to weight loss in almost anyone who follows it. However, many people will notice that they lose water weight due to a lack of calories rather than losing fat mass. Therefore, when they return to their normal eating habits, they will most likely regain the weight they lost.
Benefits of the chicken and broccoli diet include:
The chicken and broccoli diet is a great way of limiting your caloric intake. Consuming 1,100 calories a day will create a daily calorie deficit of 500-1,000, which may help you lose 1-2 pounds per week if your maintenance calorie needs are 1,600-2,100 (16).
This type of diet plan consists mostly of lean proteins, which are high in the essential amino acids our bodies need (12).
Grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and unsweetened black teas all provide your body with different types of vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly while also helping you lose weight and stay healthy.
One thing many diets lack is simplicity. This type of meal pattern is easy to follow and simple to prepare.
Read more: How To Lose 3 Pounds a Week According To Experts
There are also several cons to this diet:
By only eating 1,100 calories a day and eating a limited variety of foods, you may deprive your body of the essential nutrients it needs to function properly. This leaves you at risk for nutrient deficiencies.
Eating the same foods over and over again can become tedious after a while. This may ultimately lead to cravings for different types of food, potentially making it more difficult for you to stick to this type of meal pattern.
Most people who lose weight on this type of diet plan experience temporary weight loss. When they revert to their normal eating habits, they will most likely regain most, if not all, of the weight that was lost (14).
If you constantly consume low amounts of calories throughout the day, your energy levels may also be very low. You won’t have enough energy to exercise or do much else apart from going about your daily life, and this will ultimately make you feel exhausted.
When people constantly deny themselves the foods they want, this can lead them to develop disordered eating patterns over time, such as binge eating disorder or anorexia nervosa (8).
For any restrictive meal pattern to be safe, it must be done in moderation and only for a short period. Some people may also require medical supervision, so you should discuss your diet plans with your doctor before you start.
There are healthy alternatives to the original chicken, rice, and broccoli diet, so you can continue to enjoy these three ingredients without becoming bored or hungry enough to cheat on your diet.
Here are some healthy alternatives to the chicken, rice, and broccoli diet:
By reducing your calorie intake a little, you are less likely to slow down your metabolism, which tends to happen with more dramatic calorie restriction. Therefore, reducing your daily caloric intake by 250–500 calories is ideal for better results (13). This could mean that instead of eating three meals per day, you eat five or six smaller meals or snacks throughout the day.
A balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, and fat is what your body requires to function properly. Carbohydrates provide glucose (energy) our bodies need, while proteins help repair muscles, and fats have many functions.
Varying your meals every day will make it easier to stick to your diet. It will also encourage the consumption of different kinds of foods that are more helpful for losing weight than just sticking to the seven-day chicken and broccoli diet all year round. This doesn’t mean that you should only eat salads or drink juice for a week.
You can vary your daily meals with simple easy recipes (2) while still including the three main sources of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fat.
By allowing yourself a cheat meal every week or so, you won’t feel deprived on your diet plan and may even enjoy it more than before.
Although it may seem difficult, you must remind yourself that a cheat meal is just that – a treat in moderation. You can eat your favorite food or even junk food, but only in small portions.
Lifting weights is a great way of speeding up your metabolism and losing weight (9). By lifting weights that are challenging for you, you can tone and define your muscles, which decreases body fat and increases muscle mass, adding up to weight loss.
Cardio helps burn calories while also improving your cardiovascular health. It should be done at least three times per week as it makes a significant contribution to burning more calories than strength training alone (3).
You can choose activities such as running or walking depending on your abilities. However, we highly recommend running as this exercise builds endurance faster than any other form of cardio.
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It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t need to follow the original chicken, rice, and broccoli diet. You can change it up a little, include other types of foods, and explore other recipes (1).
Here are some healthy recipes that use these three ingredients:
If you want to go for a pasta dish, this one has approximately 476 calories per serving.
If you want to remove the carbs from your dinner, then this soup is for you. It’s a quick and simple recipe that will give you a delicious meal without you needing to spend too much time in the kitchen. The amount of calories in one serving of this recipe is also suitable for a healthy breakfast or lunch.
This recipe is courtesy of iheartthenewme.com.
Read more: Do 5-Day Liquid Diets Work? Everything You Need To Know About This Viral Fitness Strategy
If you want to cook your chicken and broccoli, this stir fry is the dish for you. It’s quick, simple, and will provide you with a delicious meal in just 30 minutes.
This recipe is courtesy of iheartthenewme.com.
If you eat only chicken for a month, you will most likely be deficient in essential nutrients and vitamins. This can have negative health consequences including fatigue, hair loss, and a weakened immune system. A balanced diet that includes various sources of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and micronutrients is very important.
Yes, it’s okay to eat chicken and broccoli every day, as long as you also eat other nutritious foods and maintain a balanced diet. Variety is important to ensure your body receives all the essential nutrients it needs to function properly.
Not really. In comparison to other foods, chicken and broccoli are low in calories.
A 100-gram serving of cooked chicken breast contains approximately 158 calories (6), while a cup of cooked broccoli has approximately 44 calories (4). However, the method you use to prepare these foods can significantly alter their calorie content. For example, frying chicken and using a creamy broccoli sauce can significantly increase the calorie count.
Sauces, oils, and cooking methods should be carefully monitored to keep the calorie count in check.
The lowest-calorie Chinese food options are generally steamed dishes served with vegetables and lean protein, such as steamed chicken and broccoli.
You should avoid deep-fried options such as sweet and sour chicken or General Tso’s chicken, as they tend to be high in calories due to the added batter and sauce.
Stir-fried dishes that are made with oil and cornstarch can also be high in calories, so it’s best to opt for steamed or lightly sautéed options. Adding extra vegetables and choosing lean protein sources is also a good idea
Yes, if you eat only chicken and vegetables in smaller portions than usual, you’re likely to lose weight due to the calorie deficit. You can try the chicken and broccoli diet for a month and see if it works for you.
Weight loss comes down to consuming fewer calories than you burn (10), so as long as your overall calorie intake is lower when you eat only chicken and vegetables, you will see weight loss results. However, we advise you to maintain a varied and balanced diet without sole reliance on one food group to ensure you fulfill all your nutrition needs in the long term.
The chicken and broccoli diet may be effective for some people as a short-term weight loss solution, but it is not something that should be used as a long-term strategy to improve your overall health.
The best way of losing weight safely is by following a balanced meal plan with proper portion control that includes healthy foods from all the food groups. This will help you maintain your new weight long-term without worrying about any negative effects to your health.
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