Banana diet :The banana-based diet to lose weight

 The banana-based diet to lose weight recommends the exclusive consumption of bananas in the first part of the day, before lunch. Far from the mono diets that prohibit the consumption of all other foods, this diet offers a relatively balanced meal structure while promising rapid weight loss.

Features of the banana diet:

• Banana-based breakfast, all-you-can-eat
• Classic lunch and dinner
• Possibility to include snacks
• Loss of 2 to 3 kg per week
• Low risk of nutritional deficiencies

 Main principles and definition of the banana diet

The banana-based diet to lose weight is a relatively recent method invented by Japanese pharmacist Sumiko Watanabé. This method follows the principle of a mono-diet and promotes banana consumption with the aim of losing weight quickly.

How does the banana-based diet work to lose weight?

The banana diet consists of consuming only bananas in the first part of the day, before lunch. At breakfast and as a morning snack, the banana can then be consumed at will and until satiety.

To follow the banana diet, you must make sure to respect a few rules:

• Banana should be the only food consumed before lunch
• Possibility to consume it cooked or raw, but without the addition of sugar or fat
• It is necessary to drink water at room temperature throughout the day
• It is forbidden to eat after 8pm
• Lunch and dinner remain classic. Be careful, however, they must be balanced and consumed until satiety only.

How does the yogurt banana diet make you lose weight?

The banana-based diet promises weight loss ranging from 2 to 3 kg per week. The lipase contained in the banana would promote fat burning and facilitate the loss of extra pounds. In addition, replacing often fatty and sweet breakfast products (cereals, pastries, cakes, etc.) with fruit and water significantly reduces the number of calories consumed in the first part of the day.

As a result, the banana diet could induce a negative energy balance and initiate significant weight loss. As soon as the body ingests fewer calories than it uses to function, then there is weight loss. It is on this great principle that this regime seems to be based.

Finally, the banana is a relatively satiating starch-rich fruit. It's rare to want or need to consume five bananas all at once. Finally, since it takes few bananas to feel full, the caloric intake is lower.

How long does the banana diet last?

The banana-based diet is an express diet that usually lasts between 3 and 12 days. However, there are various variants that consist of integrating 3 days of the banana diet per week or following it over the longer term.

Foods allowed and prohibited in the banana diet

In this diet, some foods are to be consumed daily at noon and in the evening, and others to be limited to promote weight loss:

Foods to favour                                              

• Vegetables
• Raw vegetables
• Fruit
• Poultry
• Fish
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Legumes
• Whole grains
• Wholemeal bread
• Steam cooking
• Low-fat preparations
• Water and herbal teas

 Foods to limit

• Red meat
• Deli
• Refined cereals
• White bread
• Dairy products
• Dishes in sauces
• Sugar and sweet products
• Pastries, pastries, biscuits
• Industrial products
• Ready meals
• Fast food
• Butter, cream and fatty products
• Sodas, industrial fruit juices
• Alcohol
• Salt

Banana diet: dietary program and typical menu

 Typical menu

• Before noon 
• Bananas at will
• Water at room temperature

Midi 

• Grilled chicken, tomatoes, asparagus tips and quinoa                                        
• Soy yoghurt, lemon and mint sauce
• Seasonal fruit

Evening

• Addy tomato and peppers
• White fish papillote and vegetable julienne
• Brown rice
• Soy yoghurt

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive points of the banana-based diet to lose weight

• Promotes the consumption of bananas, rich in fiber, vitamin B and potassium
• Limits snacking and consumption of sweet products at breakfast
• The feeling of satiety brought by the banana
• Relatively varied and balanced meals
• Low risk of deficiencies
• Compatible with a fulfilling social life
• Weight loss
• Easy to set up
• Suitable for all budgets

The negative points of the banana diet

• May lead to transit disorders
• Monotonous and boring in the long term
• Risk of hypo and hyperglycemia in vulnerable people
• Risk of weight regains when stopping the diet

Recommendations and precautions to be taken

Are there any risks?

This diet is not recommended for people with glucose intolerance, type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Banana is a fruit rich in sugar, consuming it alone in the morning can lead to significant variations in blood sugar levels. This can be dangerous in people on insulin or suffering from insulin resistance. In people who need to follow a controlled potassium diet, this diet is also not recommended because bananas are very rich in potassium. In pregnant and lactating women, it is also not advisable to follow such a diet.

Is this a diet for you?

Why not, if you want to lose weight relatively easily while maintaining a classic meal structure. The banana-based diet seems to allow you to slim down while eating everything and respecting your hunger, which is a very important point. This diet will be all the easier to follow if you are not a heavy eater in the morning and if you do not have any particular habits regarding this first meal of the day.

Is it a diet compatible with sport?

The banana diet does not necessarily focus on sports. The method recommends doing physical activity only when you feel like it. For my part, I recommend maintaining a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day during this diet. Physical activity helps prevent muscle wasting, regulate appetite, support weight loss and feel good psychologically as well as physically.

How not regain weight? What to expect before/after?

The banana diet promises significant weight loss in a short time. It is for this reason that the balance is fragile and weight gain is quite frequent. To avoid regaining the pounds lost with this method, it is recommended not to reintegrate bad eating habits after the diet and at breakfast time. Instead of croissants or sugary cereals, it is better to consume fruit, dairy and a little wholemeal bread.

Dietician's opinion on the banana diet

Contrary to what one might think, the banana diet is not about eating only bananas throughout the day. Lunch and dinner remain rather balanced and well-structured meals. This diet is not particularly low-calorie and all food categories have their place. In addition, and this is a very important point, the method recommends listening to food sensations (hunger, satiety) to know when to eat and when to stop. Except in special cases, it is not dangerous to have a banana-only breakfast if the other meals are complete and balanced. On the other hand, physical activity is a missing point in this diet. In my opinion, nothing beats a varied diet and the practice of regular activity. However, I believe that this diet is relatively harmless unlike many others.