Contents
A diet of protein-carbohydrate alternation (or, more simply, the diet of BUCH) can reconcile two opposing camps of meat-eaters and carbohydrate lovers. Admirers of protein diets are sure: without protein it is impossible to maintain muscle tone, fans of carbohydrates fend off that without glucose the brain will stop working … and at the same time effectively lose weight, while maintaining a good mood.
The sweet word “carbohydrates” in the BUCH diet does not mean eating sweets and pastries: starches and sugars for the body losing weight will have to get from healthy sources, such as whole grains, cereals, vegetables and fruits. When choosing food for protein-rich days, you should also look closely at the foods, choosing the freshest and leanest ones.
Benefits of the BUCH diet
Due to the alternation of protein and carbohydrate days, the metabolism does not slow down, as it happens when following a carbohydrate-free diet, fat stores are burned evenly.
The BUCH diet allows you to maintain a good mood and mental tone: diets with strict restrictions often cause depression. In addition, on carbohydrate days, the body receives glucose to nourish the brain.
Protein-carbohydrate alternation works well with exercise, supplying both energy (carbohydrates) and protein (building blocks for muscles).
BUCH diet: schedule for the month
The BUCH 30-Day Diet was invented by the American nutritionist Jason Hunter, a recognized expert in sports and health nutrition.
The meal plan, subject to the rules, promises weight loss from minus 7 kg. However, the author notes that the effect is in direct proportion to how much excess fat the losing weight managed to accumulate: the more obese will be able to boast of a large “plumb line”.
At the same time, Jason Hunter developed his BUCH diet so that it would be suitable not only for the majority of healthy people, but also for those who suffer from diabetes (however, in any case, an in-person consultation with a therapist is required before starting the diet).
The BUCH diet for 30 days is based on the consumption of lean meat, nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits, high-fiber carbohydrate foods and, of course, plenty of clean non-carbonated drinking water.
Diets, during which the intake of carbohydrates is as limited as possible, provoke the body to switch to an unhealthy mode of “conservation” of irreplaceable elements. As a result, the metabolism slows down, and the weight loss that started well, stops. Most often, a person losing weight on a “refusal diet” complains of a “lethargic” state of health: the body saves energy, and the brain, which feeds on glucose, clearly feels its lack. If, in addition to avoiding carbohydrates, the diet consists mainly of foods rich in protein, this negatively affects the functioning of the excretory systems; kidneys suffer.
The advantage of the BUCH diet is that it does not provide for a complete rejection of any of the macronutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates): the body receives all of them, and constantly, but according to a special system that allows you to effectively get rid of fat reserves.
Diet scheme BUCH for 30 days
According to Jason Hunter’s theory, carbohydrates (carbohydrates) provide the body with the energy it needs to be active (and exercise). Insulin, maintained at a constant level by consuming carbohydrates, stops fat burning. However, when protein is consumed, the production of another pancreatic hormone, glucagon, is activated. Acting in antiphase, these two hormones “kill all birds with one stone” – they allow you to get rid of excess fat without muscle degeneration and poor health associated with a lack of energy and nutrition for the brain.
Day 1: carbohydrate day – powerful stimulation of metabolism
Day 2: low carb day – focus on protein processing with “carbohydrate support”
Day 3: protein day – only protein food with a small amount of non-starchy (leafy) vegetables
After the third day, the scheme is repeated from the beginning. In total, Jason Hunter’s BUCH diet for 30 days has 10 carbohydrate, 10 low-carbohydrate and 10 protein days. On any day, you need to drink 1,5-2 liters of clean water. You should eat 5-7 times a day in small portions, observing a three-hour interval: this will allow you to burn calories evenly throughout the day, maintaining the optimal rate of metabolic processes.
Carbohydrate and protein foods for the BUCH diet
No matter how attractive the expression “carbohydrate days” may sound to lovers of sweets and pastries, alas, it is better to refuse sweets and cakes during their course. The best choice is carbohydrate foods with a low and medium glycemic index, which provide a slow conversion of starches into sugars and, accordingly, slowly release glucose into the blood. Among them:
cereal cereals (it is more useful to soak cereals for a day before cooking, so that useful substances are released during fermentation)
starchy vegetables
durum wheat pasta
whole grain crisps and breads
fruit
On mixed low-carb days, it is recommended to eat carbohydrates in the first third of the day (cereals, fruits), combine carbohydrates (preferably vegetables) with protein in the second third, and switch to protein in the late afternoon, preparing for tomorrow’s “carbohydrate load”.
On protein days, you will benefit from:
lean meat (chicken breasts, turkey)
seafood, fish
chicken eggs
dairy products (cheeses, especially fresh pickled cheese, kefir, cottage cheese)
nuts (pine nuts, almonds)
On protein days, you can add some fresh cucumbers, lettuce, fresh herbs to the menu.
All animal products, even lean ones, contain a certain amount of non-removable fat – this is normal, fat is needed by the cells of the body. Salads, porridge and pasta on the BUCH diet are moderately seasoned with high-quality vegetable oil (olive, first-cold-pressed flaxseed oil) to ensure the supply of unsaturated fatty acids. Food should be steamed or grilled without oil, it is also allowed to bake without fat or boil.
Serving volume and sports loads on the BUCH diet
Jason Hunter pays special attention to the importance of a positive attitude and good mood during the entire period of the diet, therefore, he offers a flexible approach to the issue, capturing the needs of the body and focusing on the achieved result.
Since the BUCH diet implies fractional nutrition, you can take as a sample a portion size of 200-250 ml, making sure that the total daily calorie intake is at least 1000 calories. If you eat 5 times a day, the portions will be larger, if 7 – accordingly, less.
There is also such a recommendation for the correct calculation of the amount of proteins and carbohydrates on the BUCH diet for each kilogram of the desired weight:
Carbohydrate days: 3 grams of carbs
Low-carb days: 2,5 grams of protein + 1,5 grams of carbohydrates
Protein days: 3-4 grams of protein
Regular exercise can help you lose fat and strengthen your muscles. However, at the same time as starting the diet, you should not overload yourself in the gym, especially if you are significantly overweight – this will be a dramatic test for a weakened cardiovascular system. Water aerobics or aerobic exercise (simple walking) remains a great option for those looking to get some weight in order but were a rare guest at the gym before.
However, if you are ready to combine the BUCH diet with active training, it makes sense to organize the load in such a way that its maximum intensity falls on carbohydrate days.
BUCH Diet: Four Day Cycle
Protein-carbohydrate alternation is especially loved by athletes, as it allows you to receive energy for training, and burn fat, building muscles. Many professionals who have studied their body well, develop for themselves individual BUCH diet plans that provide for double days and a special calorie calculation system. The four-day cycle of the BUCH diet is also quite popular, which differs from the basic diet of Jason Hunter by an increased intake of protein. It looks like this:
1 and 2 days: protein (3-4 grams of protein per 1 kg of desired weight)
Day 3: carbohydrate (5-6 grams of carbohydrate per 1 kg of desired weight) + 1 glass of milk in the morning and protein dinner (cottage cheese or egg)
Day 4: mixed (2 grams of protein per 1 kg of desired weight + 2 grams of carbohydrates per 1 kg of desired weight)
The cycle is repeated, but no more than 12 times.
The principle of product selection remains the same – whole grains and dairy, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, poultry and fish remain a priority. The added fats are represented by high-quality vegetable oil, the recommendations for the use of plain water are general dietary, from 1,5 to 2 liters per day.
“Classic Powell Cycle”: BUCH Diet for 12 weeks
American trainer Heidi Powell, together with her husband Chris, invented their own original method of protein-carbohydrate alternation, intended primarily for those who lose weight in the gym.
Its validity was confirmed by researchers from the University Hospital of South Manchester. After observing female volunteers who combined exercise with one of two meal plans: the Mediterranean diet or a diet that significantly reduced carbohydrate intake three times a week, they found that the former lost an average of 2,5 kg in a month, and the second – 4,5 kg.
The Classic Powell Cycle is a weekly BUCH diet. Its peculiarity is that both proteins and carbohydrates are present on the menu every day, but in special proportions (approximately 30/70) and taking into account the total calorie content of the daily menu. The diet is preceded by a powerful “loading day”, which is supposed to “eat up” 2500 kcal. This starts the metabolism, which then works according to the following regime:
Day 1 – 1200 kcal, low carbs, high protein
Day 2 – 1500 kcal, high in carbohydrates, low in protein
Day 3 – 1200 kcal, low carbs, high protein
Day 4 – 1500 kcal, high in carbohydrates, low in protein
Day 5 – 1200 kcal, low carbs, high protein
Day 6 – 1500 kcal, high in carbohydrates, low in protein
Day 7 – cheat day, 2000 kcal from any sources
Interview
Have you already used the BUCH diet for weight loss? What results have you achieved?
I tried the BUCH diet, but failed and did not achieve positive results.
A very light and balanced diet, I have successfully lost a few extra pounds on it.
I use the BUCH diet as my daily eating style.