We’ve seen numerous fad diets that target consuming one particular meals — the cookie weight loss program, the cabbage soup weight loss program, the grapefruit weight loss program. They all declare that will help you lose a big quantity of weight in a short time, and the cucumber weight loss program isn’t any totally different.
The cucumber weight loss program is a quick-fix weight-loss weight loss program that’s stated to assist folks shed kilos shortly by consuming — you guessed it — an entire lot of cucumbers. But does it work?
Here are the principles, the advantages, and the downsides of the cucumber weight loss program.
What Is the Cucumber Diet?
Cucumbers are naturally low in energy — an entire cucumber has simply 45 energy — so it’s no shock they’d find yourself on the heart of a fad weight loss program.
While there are totally different variations of the cucumber weight loss program, there’s one frequent thread: You eat numerous cucumbers. We’re speaking cucumber shakes, salads, sticks, and slices.
What Are the Rules of the Cucumber Diet?
The particular guidelines of the cucumber weight loss program can fluctuate relying on which supply you reference. While there’s a e-book aptly titled The Cucumber Diet: The Power of Conscious Eating, you’ll find a number of variations of the weight loss program on-line.
The most important guideline of the weight loss program is that this: Eat cucumbers while you’re hungry, together with a handful of different “approved” meals. Because cucumbers are so low in energy, the concept is that you just’ll doubtless create a calorie deficit by noshing on largely cucumbers.
What Foods Can You Eat on the Cucumber Diet?
Needless to say, you may eat cucumbers. Most diets haven’t any limitation on the way you eat them and the way a lot you devour, though some stricter variations of the weight loss program do restrict the quantity of cucumber you may have.
A couple of different meals are sometimes included, together with:
- lean proteins like fish, rooster, and eggs
- Greek yogurt
- cottage cheese
- olive oil
- brown rice
- low-calorie greens like spinach, celery, and tomatoes
There’s additionally one 10- to 14-day protocol that entails consuming as a lot cucumber salad as you need, together with:
- two boiled eggs or 150 grams of tuna with out oil or 150 grams of rooster breast
- two massive boiled potatoes or three slices of whole-grain bread
- 500 grams of natural fruit
What Foods Can’t You Eat on the Cucumber Diet?
One good thing about the cucumber weight loss program: Aside from whole-grain bread, which is permitted on some variations of the weight loss program, the weight loss program cuts out most processed meals together with chips, baked items, and sweetened drinks.
But when you have been to observe the protocol talked about above, you’d additionally omit numerous wholesome fare — like fruits and any non-approved veggies.
Can I Lose Weight With the Cucumber Diet?
Yes, however it should most certainly be short-term.
You can shed extra pounds on any model of the cucumber weight loss program, as a result of there merely aren’t that many non-cucumber meals you’re allowed to eat — and meaning you’ll doubtless slash your every day calorie consumption.
By filling up on largely cucumber at each meal, which has a excessive water content material, it could be robust to eat sufficient of the opposite permitted meals.
“You’re putting so much bulk into your digestive system that you’re not going to have a lot of room for anything else,” says Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD.
But the cucumber weight loss program isn’t designed to be adopted for greater than two weeks — so it’s not a sustainable weight loss program for long-term weight reduction. Any weight you lose on the cucumber weight loss program will doubtless be gained again when you return to consuming usually.
And there are many different, more healthy methods to eat cleaner with out reducing out so many meals teams.
The Downsides of the Cucumber Diet
You don’t want us to inform you that cucumbers are low in energy and will be part of a wholesome, balanced weight loss program.
“There’s no harm in eating cucumbers with every meal, as long as it’s a moderate amount,” Giancoli says.
But there are a couple of downsides to creating cucumbers your major meals supply. Here’s why it’s best to suppose twice earlier than following the cucumber weight loss program:
1. It’s low in vitamins.
If you eat largely cucumbers, you’ll miss out on numerous necessary micro and macronutrients. Compared to different fruit and veggies, Giancoli says, “Cucumbers aren’t exactly swimming in vitamins and minerals.”
2. You gained’t get the variability you want.
Eating quite a lot of meals helps make sure you’re getting all of the vitamins you want.
“We’re supposed to be eating a wide variety of foods — a variety that gives us a balance of macronutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and all kinds of other things that our bodies need,” Giancoli says.
3. It might gradual your metabolism.
Excessive calorie restriction can really get in the best way of your weight-loss objectives.
On the cucumber weight loss program, Giancoli says, “It’s going to be very hard to reach your calorie needs — and once you go below your basal metabolic rate with calories, you’re not giving your body the calories it needs just to stay alive at rest.”
That means your metabolism will doubtless decelerate to preserve power.
What’s extra, you in all probability gained’t have the power to hit the fitness center, and understanding recurrently goes hand in hand with wholesome weight reduction you may preserve.
4. You’ll doubtless acquire the burden again.
As is the case with loads of different very low-calorie fad diets, you’re in all probability going to place any misplaced weight proper again on.
With extended calorie restriction, the human physique can go into hunger mode: “Your body’s like, ‘You’re not giving me what I need; I need to do something about that and use less energy and burn fewer calories,’” Giancoli says.
Once you go off a restrictive weight loss program, analysis exhibits that physique weight sometimes returns to and even exceeds what it was initially.
The Final Verdict
So does the cucumber weight loss program work? In the brief time period, possibly — but it surely’s not the healthiest method to weight reduction, and it’s positively not sensible or sustainable.
But you may nonetheless get pleasure from cucumbers as a part of your wholesome consuming plan — like in a crudités platter or a Greek salad.