Hello everyone!
I'm a mom in my mid-twenties, and I've been there - trying to get back in shape after maternity leave. Those extra pounds can be a real challenge, and it's not just about looking good when you're back at work. Trust me, it's a struggle in everyday life too.
I'm at that stage now where I need to focus on losing weight, so I've been working out and following a pretty strict diet. But let's be real, I need a little extra help getting rid of the flab around my sides, and that's where this old-school kefir diet comes in.
This diet is pretty straightforward, but it does have some caveats. If you have any of the following conditions, it's best to steer clear:
Gastritis;
Stomach ulcers;
Kidney problems;
Cholecystitis;
Pregnancy;
Breastfeeding;
Under 18 years old.
The duration of this diet is flexible, but it's generally recommended to stick to it for 3 to 7 days. I opted for 7 days, but I ended up cutting it short to 6 days because I just couldn't take the thought of eating nothing but kefir anymore.
What I was expecting:
I was hoping to lose 3-5 kg in just a week, and that's exactly what I needed. With our summer vacation just around the corner, I wanted to look and feel my best.
So, here's my starting weight: 62.5 kg.
Before the kefir dietI'm a petite girl, so any extra weight I gain tends to accumulate around my sides and chest, making me look boxy and unflattering.My goal is to look decent in a swimsuit, and that means tackling these extra pounds head-on.Choosing my diet plan:
First things first, I picked a kefir with a fat content of no more than 2.5%. I opted for low-fat products, as recommended by dietitians. Unfortunately, 1% kefir is hard to come by in most stores, so I had to settle for a slightly higher fat content.
I varied my kefir intake by trying different products, not just plain kefir, because, honestly, it's too acidic to drink for days on end. I also tried liquid yogurt from 'Fermer's Homestead' and BioBalance, and FruGurt.
Plus, I had to cut out sweet, smoked, salty, fried, and other processed foods for the duration of the diet.
Sample 7-day menu
I want to note that I didn't stick to the diet for the full 7 days, so I'll share the 6th and 7th day menu, but I cheated.
I used my personal app, 'Women's Calendar,' to track my food intake and weight.
My menu looked something like this:
Day 1: kefir, mashed potatoes, and veggies for dinner;
Day 2: liquid yogurt, boiled chicken breast, and veggies for dinner;
Day 3: kefir, boiled beef, and fruits for dinner;
Day 4: liquid yogurt, white fish, and veggies;
Day 5: kefir, mashed potatoes in mounds;
Day 6: kefir/liquid yogurt, fruits/veggies all day;
Day 7: mineral water ad lib.
Days 6 and 7 can be swapped if you prefer and have the energy.
The process was successful
Although I didn't strictly follow the kefir diet rules and had some slip-ups – I drank tea and liquid yogurt instead of just kefir, and always had fruits and veggies for dinner – I still lost weight:
Results 6 days after starting my weight loss journey.I lost a total of 6 kg, which was definitely a pleasant surprise.The weight came off gradually, along with my mood... a hungry wife is a cranky wife, after all, but the results were worth it.
After my weight loss, I got busy preparing for a trip and didn't take any post-diet photos at home, so it's hard to show the before-and-after collage.
However, I dug through some old photos and found the most telling results:
You can confidently head off on vacation after dieting
I'm thrilled and happy that my love handles have disappeared and my stomach has tightened up.
Incidentally, one of the positives of weight loss in general is that since you need to come off the diet gradually, I was eating tiny portions and was able to lose a few more kilos by the end of my vacation. These kinds of results really make me happy.
I'd like to give some advice that I thought was really important.
Key aspects of weight loss that you need to remember:
While on the diet, it's a good idea to take a multivitamin to avoid depriving your body of essential vitamins, which would obviously have a negative impact on your well-being.Since this diet doesn't provide many vitamins and minerals, my hair didn't fall out, but my nails became incredibly brittle, and it took me over two months to get them back to normal...
Make sure to drink plenty of water, more than you normally would. Water is key to success when it comes to weight loss, and dehydration will only harm you.You don't need to overdo it on the water, just drink more than usual. I was still allowed to drink a lot of tea, and I couldn't resist a morning coffee.
While on the diet, it's a good idea to get out and about, go for walks, and socialize as much as possible. This way, you'll forget about hunger and the process will be faster.Even on rainy days, I'd recommend going for a walk, otherwise, being stuck at home can be really depressing...
I was able to achieve some pretty good results on this diet, considering my weight and body type.To summarize, I'd say that this diet is quite specific and it's really hard to stick to it for so long just eating kefir, so for me, the solution was to drink some yogurt as well.
Considering the amount of weight I lost, I'm really happy with this method, but as for the taste, I'm not sure if I'd go through it all again...
Despite its specificity, I would still recommend this diet, and I wish you all the best of health and a lack of unwanted kilos!
xa0
I have to admit, I was really disappointed with the results of this diet, so much so that I ended up looking for an alternative - I'd actually stumbled upon a rice-based diet that I thought might be the answer, but let's just say it didn't quite live up to my expectations...