How to start your high-protein diet properly?

The Cétofine 21 weight loss diet is a formidable program against excess weight. Composed of 4 stages, it offers you the flexibility to start with one of the first 2 steps of your choice according to your motivation: the strict protein diet (Stage 1) and the mixed diet (Stage 2). To start your diet properly, we recommend learning about the high-protein diet method.

To initiate weight loss, you will choose between these 2 stages according to your preferences and goals.

The high-protein diet is above all a low-calorie diet (reduction of caloric intake) and low-carb (reduction of carbohydrate intake). It is the reduction of carbohydrate intake that will allow your body to burn fat. At the same time, protein intake will help you overcome excess weight. The intake of proteins helps maintain muscle mass. Weight loss is therefore solely targeted at your fat mass.

Following a protein diet requires following 4 levels with very different objectives. If you don't follow these 4 steps properly, you risk shocking the body in the transition between meal replacement-based nutrition and classic nutrition. This risks causing the yo-yo effect and weight regain.

Weight regain can easily be avoided by following the stabilization phase (Level 4). This final stabilization level aims to instill new, healthier eating habits.

We have reworked the high-protein diet to support you after weight loss to prevent regaining it.

During the protein diet, one might think that hunger takes over. However, women benefit from 5 meals a day (lunch, snack, dinner...) and men consume 6 meals a day. Thanks to all these meals spread throughout the day, the feeling of hunger disappears and cravings are avoided. This feeling of satiety is due to proteins. Proteins are nutrients that take a very long time to digest.

Depending on your weight loss goal and your motivation, you can start with a strict high-protein diet (level 1) or a moderate high-protein diet (level 2).

The main difference between these 2 steps is that level 1 consists only of high-protein sachets accompanied by vegetables, while level 2 allows you to maintain a meal composed of dietary proteins (fish, chicken, beef...) at lunch or dinner.

In both stages of the protein diet for weight loss, starches and any other source of carbohydrates should be avoided.

Phase 1 is more restrictive, but also more effective. On average, Phase 1 allows you to lose 2 kg to 2.5 kg per week while Phase 2 is more around 1 to 1.5 kg. To lose weight quickly, we recommend starting with this stage of the high-protein diet.

The protein diet is ideal for weight loss exceeding 5 kilos. It allows you to put your body into ketosis quickly and therefore trigger weight loss by drawing directly from fat mass and providing you with the protein intake your body needs to: not feel hunger or fatigue and protect your muscle mass.

Indeed, the strict protein diet will allow you to eliminate the kilos you want to get rid of, and quickly thanks to its effectiveness. To fully understand Phase 1, find the method here. The protein diet will satisfy you if you are determined to get rid of excess kilos quickly!

During the first 72 hours, the weight-loss diet must be followed to the letter: high-protein sachets and authorized vegetables and 2 liters of unsweetened beverage per day. So we forget chocolate, fruits, fats, sugars and all foods that are not on the list of authorized vegetables.

After the first 72 hours, your body will enter the ketosis phase. This phase allows the body to produce ketone bodies by breaking down fat reserves, your body has understood that it will have to draw from fat mass to find energy and you will start to slim down. If you would like to know more, we invite you to consult our article: "How does the protein diet work?"

The diet thus becomes child's play if the method is followed and results are felt very quickly which motivates you to make some efforts.

Another significant benefit: once ketosis is established, the feeling of hunger disappears and a feeling of fullness appears. No cravings, ketosis even gives you a boost of energy. Additionally, we recommend a vitamin and mineral supplement to meet all your metabolism's needs during weight loss.

However, to maintain ketogenesis, the body must not consume more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day. For example, Cétofine 21 sachets contain an average of 1 to 3 grams of carbohydrates per sachet, 100g of cucumbers contain 2g of carbohydrates (source: Aprifel) and 100g of milk chocolate contains about 57g of carbohydrates (including more than 50 grams of sugar).

But even though this step is very beneficial for weight loss greater than 5 Kg, it is not mandatory.

We remind you that this phase 1, also called strict high-protein diet, can be followed only to initiate weight loss, for example for 1 to 2 weeks depending on the desired weight loss.

And when this step seems too difficult to follow, when you feel a decrease in motivation or when you simply want to eat a meal of dietary proteins, you can move on to Phase 2 (mixed protein diet). Each person will not experience the same thing. For some, phase 1 is comfortable, restrictive certainly, but nothing to weigh, nothing to calculate and with rapid weight loss without feeling hungry (natural satiety) or fatigue.

In any case, the strict protein diet will be followed at most until you reach 70% of your weight loss goal. And at that point, you will need to move on to Phase 2.

For weight losses of less than 5 kg or for anyone who does not want to follow a diet using only powdered protein sachet preparations, we recommend starting directly at phase 2, also called mixed high-protein diet.

Indeed, to lose a few kilos (between -2 and -6 kilos), you will complete between 14 and 30 days of diet. This period will often be too short to go through the strict high-protein diet and follow the dietary rebalancing. For small weight losses, we recommend the 14-Day Weight Loss Kit which is a quick and effective weight loss program to slim down. You thus have a turnkey solution with the established program and all the products to reach your goal of losing 3 kilos in just 2 weeks.

Phase 2, the mixed protein diet, combines the consumption of high-protein sachets while keeping one weight-loss meal with so-called classic food (meat, fish, egg, shellfish and/or dairy protein...), authorized vegetables and 2 liters of water, herbal tea, tea and any unsweetened beverage.

This phase is less restrictive and allows you to keep one meal with dietary proteins, weight loss is slightly slower, meaning between 1 kg and 1.5 kg per week (average observed) but can also be easier to follow to reach your weight loss goals.

The best solution between the protein diet and the mixed protein diet is the one that suits you best and will allow you to achieve permanent weight loss. Because if you have to remember one thing, the most important thing is your motivation: the key to success in this slimming challenge.

Once you have made your decision, remember that Phase 1 should be followed for a maximum of 70% of your weight loss goal and Phase 2 should be followed for a maximum of 80% of your weight loss target.

If you start with Phase 1 and your target goal is to lose 10 kilos, you will remain at this stage until you have lost 7 kilos, then you will follow the Phase 2 diet until you have lost 8 kilos.

If you start with Phase 2 and your initial weight loss goal is 10 kilos, you will remain in Phase 2 until you have lost 8 kilos. Your high-protein diet will last longer but the important thing is to reach your weight loss goal!

If you have more questions about the rest of the high-protein diet program, we invite you to consult our explanatory resources. The next two phases are transition and stabilization phases that will help you reach your weight loss goal while providing you with new eating habits. The objective of these last two phases is to avoid the yo-yo effect too often encountered following low-calorie diets. It is therefore essential to follow the last phases of the protein diet.