The watermelon diet is not only tasty, it also helps you lose weight and detox your body. But the best part about that is that this diet is simple to follow!
There are different varieties of the watermelon diet, but the most popular one is the 3 day watermelon diet in which the dieter simply eats nothing but watermelon for 3 days to lose weight (Depending on how you look at it, it might sound like a dream come true!). After the dieting period is over, the dieter goes back to their regular diet. Tasty, short, and simple.
It’s not so surprising to find that the watermelon diet is being used for weight loss. After all, 91% of the content in a watermelon is all water (and very nutritious).
Watermelons also have plenty of fiber in them, which when combined with water helps keep you full longer. And so they make a great companion especially if you frequently feel hunger and struggle with certain diets.
Experts recommend the average person to drink 8 glasses of water a day to keep themselves hydrated, which understandably isn’t always easy to do for most people. Watermelons can help greatly as they contain so much water content already.
HOW DOES THE WATERMELON DIET WORK?
If you’ve been familiar with clean eating then you’re already half familiar with the watermelon diet. The diet is low-calorie and it works by making your body burn more calories than it takes in. You’re required to eliminate most processed food while consuming watermelons which helps to detox your body.
Eliminating processed foods is an effective strategy because it helps restore your natural detoxification process. By doing this, you have a better chance to eliminate toxins and waste from your body. Getting rid of toxins is important because they usually get stored in fat cells in order to protect your body. You might ask, “Why would I want to get rid of that?!” Well, more toxins means more fat and while you’re burning the existing fat from the diet, you’ll also help get rid of all the toxins that were stored in fat, efficiently eliminating them through the body’s renewed detoxification system.
While you’re going on a watermelon diet you can also benefit from all the fluids you’re taking in from these fruits. Just by chewing and swallowing as you eat them your body will think it already ate a good amount of food. But the best part is that these “foods” are all just the rich content of water in watermelons!
The tough outer layer of the watermelon is edible by the way, and they’re very nutritious, like apples!
If you’re one with a sweet tooth, this watermelon diet can help provide you with 6g of natural sugar per 100g of watermelon.
In order for the watermelon diet to work, you have to stick to the foods that the diet is intended for. That means you should avoid all junk foods, highly processed foods and even alcohol as well.
VARIATIONS OF THE WATERMELON DIET
3 Day Watermelon Fast
In this version you eat watermelon for 3 days straight. The recommended amount to consume is at least 26 cups of watermelon in a day, which equates to 1200 calories–the minimum amount of calories you would need to prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
Find any time of the day to eat your watermelons. You might become bored of the taste after awhile but at least you won’t be hungry since you’re allowed to eat as much watermelon as you like, 🙂
To get you started, try aiming for an amount equivalent to 6 cups of watermelon for breakfast, with coffee if you’d like. For lunch aim for 10 cups of watermelon and some coffee as well. And finally, for dinner you can aim for 10 cups of watermelon and some tea on the side.
What is with the random coffee/tea? Well, they’re zero calories and it’s a technique to help push your hunger signals to stay quiet.
Watermelon in Every Meal for 5 Days
In this version you add watermelon to every meal for 5 days straight with no snacks in between.
Here is a sample meal plan:
Day 1
-
Breakfast
- 1 slice watermelon
- 1 cup of coffee or green tea
-
Lunch
- 1 slice watermelon
- 150g cooked rice
- 150g boiled lean beef
-
Dinner
- 60g cottage cheese
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1 slice watermelon
Day 2
-
Breakfast
- 1 slice watermelon
- 1 slice toast
- 1 cup green tea or coffee
-
Lunch
- 100g boiled skinless chicken
- 1 slice watermelon
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
-
Dinner
- 2 slices watermelon
- 100g cooked rice
- 100g grilled fish of any kind
Day 3
-
Breakfast
- 1 slice watermelon
- 1 slice toast
- 1 cup green tea or coffee
-
Lunch
- 3 slices watermelon
- 50g pasta with tomato sauce
-
Dinner
- As much watermelon as you’d like
- Salad containing only vegetables
Day 4
-
Breakfast
- 2 slices watermelon
-
Lunch
- 2 slices watermelon
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 1 bowl of broccoli soup (3 boiled broccoli with a little bit of salt)
-
Dinner
- 2 slices watermelon
- 3 oven-baked potatoes
Day 5
-
Breakfast
- 3 slices watermelon
-
Lunch
- As much watermelon as you’d like
- 150g boiled lean beef
-
Dinner
- 3 slices watermelon
- 1 slice whole wheat bread
- 60g cottage cheese
Benefits of the Watermelon Diet
- Watermelons contain plenty of vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
- Compared to regular tap or filtered water, the natural fruit juices obtained from watermelon is a nutritious alternative
- Watermelons contain powerful antioxidants like lycopene, which improves the detoxification process.
- Since watermelon is more than 90% water, you’ll have lower chances of being dehydrated.
- The tough outer layer of watermelon is not only edible but are rich in nutrition.
