Diet Kovalkov: pros and cons

Contents

The principles of the Kovalkov diet
Stages of the Kovalkov diet
Allowed and prohibited products of the Kovalkov diet
Recipes for diet food according to the Kovalkov system
Pros and cons of the Kovalkov diet

Alexey Kovalkov is a nutritionist who is now one of the most popular and sought-after specialists in his field. Although just 10 years ago it was difficult to recognize him. This man suffered from obesity until the time when he gathered the strength to take his weight under control. After that, the doctor decided to create an author’s weight loss system, which is based on his personal experience and knowledge. This is how the popular Kovalkov diet was created.

Thanks to this technique, Kovalkov himself got rid of more than half a centner of weight. Only after the diet was tested on himself, the doctor decided to establish a well-known clinic in the country. More than 3 Russian citizens have already successfully lost weight in it.

Kovalkov’s weight loss technique is described in detail in the books Lose Weight Intensively, Victory Over Weight and Lose Weight Wisely. The main task that confronts a person is to completely change their eating habits. It is necessary to consume food in small portions, to prevent the appearance on the table of foods that contribute to the release of insulin. These simple rules, if followed, allow you to consolidate the achieved result and not gain weight again.

For 4 months, you can get rid of 27 extra pounds. Sometimes it takes about 14 kg in 7 days.

The principles of the Kovalkov diet

The Kovalkov diet is a weight loss technique based on scientific knowledge and practical experience.

The main tasks that face losing weight:

It is necessary to determine the reason that leads to a set of extra pounds.
A person must realize that only he is responsible for his weight and health.
It is necessary to draw up a weight loss program that will be designed for a long time.

The general principles of the Kovalkov diet are as follows:

You need to create the right mental attitude. A person must understand that a diet is not a period of severe torment, but a time allotted to improve health, appearance and well-being.
The menu must contain berries, fruits, vegetables, bran, sour-milk drinks.
Every day you need to drink 8 glasses of water. Drink it 10 minutes before meals.
During the diet, you need to take vitamin and mineral complexes.
You need to eat often, the break between approaches to the table should be no more than 3 hours.
Salt is not completely abandoned, but its amount is significantly reduced.
Vegetable proteins and fats should form the basis of the menu.
Every day you need to walk for at least 15 minutes. In this case, the pace of walking should be fast. Drink a glass of water before walking. You can walk at any time – both in the morning and in the evening.

Stages of the Kovalkov diet

The Kovalkov diet consists of three stages: preparatory, main and supporting. In the first two stages, a prerequisite is the implementation of physical exercises. To begin with, aerobic training is enough, and then you need to connect strength exercises. Briefly, all stages of the diet are described in the table below.

Diet stage	How long does it take	What are the goals for losing weight	How much weight can you lose
Prepare	14-30 days	Remove fast carbohydrates from the menu. Get in the habit of walking a lot. Adapt the digestive system to the use of protein foods in large volumes	5 kg
Basis	The timing depends on the individual characteristics of the human figure. The stage continues until the weight is completely stabilized.	Physical exercise should be daily. Food should be enjoyable.	200 g per day.
Maintaining the effect	From a year to a year and a half	The new way of life should become a habit. You can’t stop playing sports. Be sure to walk every day. You can use a pedometer to monitor calories burned. Combine products in dishes and in the menu as a whole, you need according to the given rules.	Weight returns to normal, at this stage it just needs to be maintained.

Step 1

The stage lasts 2-3 weeks. During this time, you need to accustom yourself to walk as much as possible, as well as make changes to the diet. It is necessary to refuse products containing fast carbohydrates, as they provoke a sharp increase in blood sugar levels and load the pancreas.

Products – sources of animal fats are also reduced to a minimum on the menu, this will allow fats to be completely absorbed by the body, and not deposited at the waist. During the first stage, it will be possible to cleanse the intestines and normalize its natural microflora.

Indicative menu for the first stage:

Breakfast	Breakfast number 2	Dinner	Lunch #2	Snack	Dinner	Dinner #2
Kefir – 1 glass; Bran and nuts – one tablespoon each	1/2 part of an apple; 1/2 pear	1/2 grapefruit	whole apple	1/2 grapefruit	Vegetable salad – standard portion; Hard cheese – 50 g	Boiled eggs (only protein); Milk – glass

Step 2

The duration of this stage depends on the body’s reaction to the first phase of the diet. The second stage can take several weeks, or maybe several months.

It is good if there is an opportunity at this time to consult a specialist and undergo an examination of the body. It is at the second stage that you need to start connecting strength exercises.

The menu is supplemented with cereals, in general, it becomes more diverse. Now it is allowed to eat fish, shrimp, squid, poultry, seafood.

The author of the diet gives his followers the following recommendations:

The main method of cooking dishes is steam processing. There is no need to use oil or large amounts of salt.
You should eat 6 times a day, but portions should be small.
It is not enough just to follow the Kovalkov diet menu, you must definitely drink as much water as possible. This does not apply to carbonated drinks.

Indicative menu for the second stage of the diet:

	Breakfast	Breakfast number 2	Dinner	Snack	Dinner
1	200 ml yogurt	apple	Pureed fish soup with hake	1/2 part orange	Salad: radish + 2 chicken proteins + olive oil
2	Steamed omelette (2 eggs + greens), a glass of tea	Herbal tea	Cottage cheese baked pancakes	grapefruit	Lazy cabbage rolls with chicken fillet
3	Low-fat cottage cheese	apple	Chicken cutlets, vegetable salad	Kefir – 1 glass	Boiled fish, lettuce (Iceberg lettuce + Cherry tomatoes)
4	Steamed buckwheat, kefir	orange	Salad (cucumber + tomato), boiled veal	Tomato juice	Salad (cherry tomatoes + arugula + tuna), herbal tea
5	Cottage cheese with kefir and herbs	Herbal tea	Brown rice, chicken cutlet	Orange	Salad (bell pepper + cucumber + cottage cheese in grains)
6	Smoothies (berries + kefir)	handful of nuts	Salad (tomatoes + cottage cheese in grains + fresh herbs + avocado + olive oil)	Kefir	Salad (salted salmon + cucumber + bell pepper + radish + yogurt)

Step 3

This stage begins when it was possible to achieve the desired weight. It can be extended by 1,5 years. During this time, you will be able to stabilize the result and learn how to keep yourself in shape. Be sure to keep walking every day.

At this time, cereals (wheat, barley, buckwheat) are gradually introduced into the menu, you can gradually eat potatoes, but only in baked form. The presence of black bread on the table is allowed. Occasionally it is allowed to drink dry wine, eat dark chocolate. In general, it is necessary to adhere to the principles and rules of a healthy diet. If you follow this recommendation, then excess weight will forever remain a problem of the past.

Allowed and prohibited products of the Kovalkov diet

It is unacceptable to eat fried foods during the diet. It’s best to cook for a couple.

During the diet, the following foods are prohibited:

Any food that contains sugar. This applies, among other things, to honey, ice cream, juices, sparkling water, jams, etc.
Macaroni, wheat bread, potatoes.
Cereals. This is especially true for white rice.
Products that have passed the smoking process are too salty dishes.
Corn.
Semi-finished products.
Products containing nutritional supplements.
Alcoholic drinks, especially beer. Occasionally, you can afford to drink a glass of table wine.

Products to be banned:

Product	Glycemic index
dates	146
French baguette	136
Rice noodles	131
Beer and ale	130
Biscuit	106
Watermelon	103
Bread for toast	100
Beetroot	99
Glucose	96
Potatoes fried or baked	95
Rice flour	95
Buns for making hamburgers	93
Spaghetti	91
mashed potatoes	90
Honey	90
Rice flakes	90
Donuts	88
Ice cream	87
Corn Flakes, Popcorn	85
boiled carrots	85
Rice flour bread	85
Boiled potatoes	83
White rice/brown rice	83/79
beans	80
Chips	80
Muesli with dried fruits and nuts	79
canned sweet corn	78
Wafers	76
Zucchini/pumpkin	75/75
Orange juice	74
Sweet potato	74
Millet groats	71
candied fruit	70
Turnip	70
Boiled corn	70
Starch	70
White milk chocolate	70
Marshmallow and marmalade	70
Sugar	70
Vareniki and dumplings	70

Foods that can be eaten:

Vegetables (raw, baked, steamed).
Dairy products with a low percentage of fat: cottage cheese, milk, kefir. If you want yogurt, then you need to choose only a high-quality natural product that does not contain additives.
Berries.
Low fat cheese.
Mushrooms.
Seafood.
Nuts.
Chicken eggs, but without the yolk.
Fruits other than grapes and bananas.
Fish and meat, but dietary varieties.