My 10-Day Cottage Cheese Experiment: How I Lost 5kg and Got Back in Shape

Hello everyone!

I have to admit, after my April vacation in Thailand, I completely stopped going to the gym, and there were a few reasons for that. Then, in June, we suddenly decided to take a week-long trip to Turkey, and the unlimited beer and all-inclusive deal did its job – it was summer, hot, and I'd gained 4kg, my waist was covered in a 'life jacket,' and my butt had turned into jelly. In short, I don't have a single photo of myself in a swimsuit from Turkey, and that's a shame, because I should've taken a photo in the worst possible angle to put on the fridge and motivate myself to stop eating.

So, I set myself a goal – to lose weight by August.

Initial Data

My parameters before the diet (01.07.2025):

Weight – 63kg Hip circumference – 102cm Waist circumference – 79cm

I'm 36 years old, 170cm tall. These parameters might be considered normal, but I have a 'skinny fat' figure.

'Skinny fat' is a term describing a body type where a person looks thin in clothes but has a high percentage of body fat and low muscle mass. This means such a person might have a normal or even low weight, but they lack developed muscles and have excess fat, especially around the waist and hips.

I'll be the first to admit, this is the toughest body type to shed. I mean, I've spent a whole year hitting the gym, losing weight, and even gaining a bit of muscle mass. But let me tell you, as soon as I gave myself a break with food and stopped working out for just three months, I quickly fell back into old habits.

Now, I know I'm not exactly overweight, and in clothes, I look pretty lean. But slip into a swimsuit, and it's a whole different story. My problem area is definitely my midsection. Not only do I naturally have a smaller waist, but it's the first place I gain weight, making me look even wider.

Fatty sides, a bloated stomach, and sagging thighs - it's a pretty grim picture.

And to make matters worse, I've come to realize that as I've gotten older, losing weight has become a whole lot harder. If I could easily drop a few pounds five years ago, now I can gain them back in just a couple of days, but losing them? That's a whole different ball game.

So, why the cottage cheese diet?

I had a solid plan to lose weight: I'd go back to the gym, keep a slight calorie deficit, cut out booze, and track my macros. That's exactly what I did for a few days, but the plan fell apart when I developed a cyst on my ovary, and my gynecologist told me to avoid any physical activity for two weeks. During that time, the slight calorie deficit and lack of exercise didn't yield any results. It wasn't until I started doing 10-minute workouts with Chloe Ting after the cyst had resolved that I was able to get back on track. However, when I calculated my final result at this pace, I realized I'd barely lost any weight by August, which really demotivated me and made me want to eat even more.

In a weird twist of fate, I stumbled upon a review for the cottage cheese diet, and that's when it clicked – it's exactly what I need! The diet involves consuming a lot of protein and almost eliminating fat and carbs from your diet. This way, you can avoid significant muscle loss and maintain your overall health.

The basics of the cottage cheese diet

It's pretty straightforward: you just eat cottage cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is my first experience with a monodiet, and I'm generally not a fan of strict diets. However, if you approach it the right way, you can achieve success with minimal losses.

I have to say, there are tons of variations of the cottage cheese diet, which is a huge plus because you can customize it to suit your needs.

First of all, let's talk about the duration: the minimum is three days, and the maximum is 14 days, according to online info. I set my goal to 7 days, but considering my body's preparation, I'd say I actually stuck to it for 10 days.

Secondly, eating just cottage cheese for days on end is a moral and physical torture. I opted for the cottage cheese and kefir diet with berries and fruits. I also picked up a great sugar substitute with a 'salted caramel' flavor, which I added to my cottage cheese, kefir, and even coffee in the mornings.

Gradual entry

You can't just switch to cottage cheese and kefir overnight. At that point, I was already on a P.P. diet and tracking my KJBU, but I knew it'd be tough to go from that to a monodiety. So, my entry into this diet took 3 days. On the first day, I replaced my usual dinner with cottage cheese, and on the second and third days, I stuck to my usual breakfast, but replaced lunch and dinner with cottage cheese.

My daily diet

For the remaining 7 days, my diet looked something like this:

✓ Breakfast

I know I'm a breakfast lover, so I allowed myself to have my usual breakfast, but with a reduced portion size – half of what I normally eat.

I broke down this oat pancake (made with 1 egg, 1 scoop of protein, and 2 tablespoons of rolled oats) into two breakfasts. I think that's what helped me stay on track for the whole 7 days. I also always have a coffee with a sweetener and 10ml of Planto plant-based milk on breakfast. But I did have breakfast just with cottage cheese a couple of times.

✓ Lunch

100g of cottage cheese (either non-fat or 2% fat) 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt Fruits or berries Sweetener

✓ Snack Non-fat kefir or 1% kefir + sweetener + berries (optional) Fiber

I've been experimenting with some unconventional protein sources, and I have to say, cottage cheese is a game-changer. It's basically like a low-carb, high-protein alternative to kefir.

✓ Supper

100 grams of cottage cheese (either non-fat or with a maximum of 2% fat) 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt Fruits or berries A sweetener of your choice

So, here's what my daily ration looked like on the cottage cheese diet.

Occasionally, I'd make some adjustments. For instance, I'd add a simple salad with fresh veggies from my grandma's garden and a drizzle of olive oil for lunch.

I have to say, my breakfasts were pretty much all about the cottage cheese. I'd make omelets with it, have it with fruit, or even just eat it straight up. Occasionally, I'd make a simple cheese pie with tomatoes for dinner. I also made sure to consume chlorella regularly - either adding it to my kefir or drinking it straight with water. I always opt for the Siberian kind, which is widely available at 5.

Throughout the diet, I made a conscious effort to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water during the day, but reducing my intake in the evenings to avoid swelling by morning. Alongside water, I'd drink two to three cups of matcha tea each day. In all honesty, I tried to mix things up as much as possible. I mean, I just can't imagine sticking to a diet that's solely cottage cheese. So, my diet wasn't super strict, but there was one golden rule I stuck to - no eating within two hours of bedtime.

How I felt during the diet

Satisfaction. I was skeptical about how cottage cheese could keep me full, but experience has shown that after consuming 100g of cottage cheese with Greek yogurt and berries, hunger disappears for a long time, and my body can substitute a full meal with cottage cheese. I hardly experienced hunger pangs at all. Whenever I started feeling like I wanted to eat, I'd pour a glass of kefir, add a sweetener, and drink it with warm water – and hunger was gone. The only issue I faced was when my period coincided with PMS, and hunger was like a beast. But in those days, I simply increased the number of cottage cheese and berry servings. On the other hand, I felt fatigue on the first day of the diet. If I could previously do household workouts on an empty stomach, I could only manage 10 minutes of planks on this diet. In the first two days, I was extremely sluggish, and I only had enough energy for mundane tasks like cleaning, taking my kid for a walk, cooking, and constantly feeling the need to sleep, with a spinning head. But by the third day, my body had adapted, and the feeling of fatigue subsided, and I even started doing Chloe Ting's workout challenge again. Of course, I couldn't give it my all, and fatigue would soon creep in, but I did experience a slight energy boost, and I no longer felt like a cooked potato. I did experience constipation due to excessive protein intake, especially in the first couple of days. However, this issue resolved quickly. I attribute this to the high amount of fiber I consume (around 30g per day) from berries and Sibirska

My mood was all over the place, but I'm blaming it on PMS, which my diet coincided with.

There were times when I wanted to give up, especially when the scale seemed to be stuck, but I'll get to that later.

Weight Loss Timeline

I started noticing the weight loss as soon as I started the diet.

Yes, switching to cottage cheese for dinner was a game-changer, and I saw the results within the first three days (which was just a gentle introduction to the diet) – I weighed 61.9 kg on the scale.

Day 4: 61.1 kg

Day 5: 60.5 kg

Day 6: 60.1 kg

Day 7: 59.8 kg

Day 8: 59.1 kg

Day 9: 58.4 kg

Day 10: 57.9 kg

By day 8, I realized the weight loss had plateaued. I had two possible reasons for this – the initial water weight loss that happens in the first few days of any diet, or the fact that I was in the middle of my menstrual cycle, which causes water retention and bloating. It's likely a combination of both, because after that cycle, the weight loss resumed normally. So, my takeaway is to plan your diet around your cycle and avoid the PMS phase.

My Results

Post-diet stats (01.08.2025):

Weight: 57.9 kg (-5.1 kg) Hip circumference: 96 cm (-6 cm) Waist circumference: 74 cm (-5 cm)

For a visual comparison, let's take a look at what I achieved in just 10 days on the cottage cheese diet.

I've noticed a significant reduction in belly fat, and my shorts aren't as tight as they used to be. The gap between my thighs is more noticeable, and my legs look slimmer. But the real progress is in my sides - they've shrunk noticeably, and my stomach is looking flatter.

Don't get me wrong, my stomach isn't relaxed on the left photo, and it's not sucked in on the right one - it's just in tone.

Of course, I still have some fat to lose, and it's going to take some time - especially around my stomach, which has been a persistent issue since my C-section. Even when I was 56 kg and working out regularly, my stomach would never fully flatten. Ugh, it's a real challenge! However, I was able to fit into my old jeans, which I hadn't been able to do before starting my diet, and my sides aren't as prominent as they used to be - that's a great indicator for me.

Life after the diet

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to just stop cold turkey. Any strict diet has its consequences. If we go back to eating like we did before, we'll not only regain the weight we lost, but we'll likely gain even more. So, it's essential to ease out of a diet just as smoothly as we went into it. On day 11, I reintroduced my usual breakfast, and on day 12, I added a light lunch, but still stuck to the plan for dinner.

The reason I'm not too worried about gaining weight is that my favorite trainer is coming out of maternity leave on August 4th, and we've already scheduled our workout routine. With her guidance, I'll be back to my regular gym routine in no time.

My experience has shown me that even after a year of working out and following a healthy diet, it's only a matter of time before I fall back into old habits. The minute I give myself a break in my eating and stop exercising for a couple of months, I'm back to square one. It's not just about dieting; it's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As they say, to be fit, you need to constantly exercise and eat right, not just for a year or two.

The Verdict

Let's be real, any super strict diet is bad for your health. I get it, rapid weight loss isn't ideal. It's way more beneficial to stick to a balanced diet and maintain a slight calorie deficit. But if you're aiming for that 'skinny-fat' look, just eating right isn't enough – you need to hit the gym for strength training. That's how I got back in shape after having kids. With strength training on the table, forget about diets altogether. However, if you need a kickstart to shed a few pounds and reduce body fat, a cottage cheese diet is a solid choice because it's high in protein. So, I'm recommending it, but with a caveat.

Thanks for reading!