Pros and cons of the high protein diet

A few weeks ago I started a 2 week high protein diet with my husband. We ended up pursing it for 3 weeks. After a week of break from this intense food plan, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

Very fast improvement of my shape:

My legs started getting smaller, my abs toned up, all my body looks a lot leaner than 3 weeks ago. Actually 2 week in, I decided to continue for one more week because of the improvements I saw in the mirror. 

No more bloating:

I often suffer of bloating, I usually count the day of the week where I don’t have an inflated tummy. During the high protein diet, I had a flat stomach most days. I didn’t eat beans, or high fiber breads, I didn’t have a lot of fruits (one fruit per day), and of course I didn’t have any fried foods and drank alcohol once per week. So, yea, byebye bloating!

Easier control of meals:

The problem when you are on a diet is that you know you can’t eat sweets and fatty foods, and that works for you most of the time. Except when you are invited for dinner, things get complicated and it’s easy to eat more than you should have. With the high proteins diet, things were easier, I would eat vegetables and lean meats and that was it.

CONS:

Low energy level:

By the second day, working out required pulling all the will power in me. And as the days went by, it got harder and harder. As my body got smaller, the sugar, i.e. energy source in my body disappeared. It also affected my daily activities, I would be tired very early on during the day.

Bad mood:

When you cut down on carbs, you produce less serotonin (feel good chemical). As a result, you become more nervous, more irritable, and a lot crankier. I think this was one of the hardest parts of the diet, I was always on the edge, and it was difficult keeping my cool. 

Bad sleep:

I should mention that my diet was high protein and low calories, so at the end of the day, despite all the proteins that were supposed to fill me, I was still hungry. And didn’t sleep well most day.

End result:

Today I am re initiating the high protein diet for 2 weeks, however I will be more lenient regarding carbs intake on days of heavy workouts. I am traveling in 3 weeks, this is why I am extending it: I usually like to enjoy my food guiltless while on vacation.