You know how you wish to lose weight but you don't want to give up any of the food groups? This UN Diet (United Nations diet), which is more a meal schedule than a diet, does just that.
I only dieted once in my life and looking back, I really didn't need to. But I read about this UN diet (not to be confused with UnDiet, which also has a great approach) and wanted to give it a try.
Why? It's a diet that claims to change your metabolism if you stick with it for 90 days. Best of all, you can eat everything. Yep, you heard me right! Everything!
Why am I telling you this?
I have a confession to make: while I was preaching to you how all the food is healthy food if we take it in moderation, I was actually practicing the opposite. My food intake has been anything but reasonable. I miserably failed even at sticking with healthier dessert options.
Don't get me wrong, my no-bake power bites are super delicious, but you remember what happened. I came clean about my lack of self-discipline while I shared that healthy recipe with you.
And I've got nobody to blame but myself. Not my husband who brings me treats I can't say no to. Not the people who invite me to their dinners, celebrations, and parties. They don't shove all that food down my throat. I do!
My younger self is laughing at me now (*insert dumb voice): "Do you remember when you wore two pairs of pants to hide how skinny you were? How will you hide that muffin top now?" Shut up, me!
Although we agree that paying attention to our health is very important, we also agree that dieting stinks. It takes too much time, money, effort, and patience. We want instant results and when we don't see them, we go back to stress-eating. Sound familiar?
Back then I have lost 11 pounds in 29 days and then stopped the diet. Hence, my metabolism didn't change. So I'm going back after 4 years. Who's with me?
Disclaimer
I'm not a health professional. I'm not claiming this diet will change your life but I need some accountability and it's always fun to diet with friends. Ultimately, you make your own decision.
Every diet works differently on different people and this one worked for me that one time. I'm hoping it will work again this time around. But I hate the day #4 of the diet, you guys. Like REALLY HATE it.
However, I love my body enough to treat it right and I am sticking with it. My goal with this diet is not only to quickly shed the pounds but to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Of course, even light exercise helps.
Remember: imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time. Dance, walk, run, or jump - do any of it for even 10 minutes a day and you'll see the results faster.
How To Lose 30 Pounds With UN Diet - The Ultimate Diet Plan
UN Diet - Introduction
This diet is based on the principle of separation of certain groups of foods in order to accelerate the metabolism and thus promote digestion.
Strict implementation of this diet leads, in addition to weight loss, to a metabolic change so the lost weight doesn't yo-yo back. The diet should be carried out for 90 days during which a weight loss of up to 30 pounds is predicted.
People who want to lose fewer pounds can interrupt their diet after reaching the desired body weight, but there will be no change in their metabolism.
The UN diet is designed to divide food into four days. It always starts with a protein day, followed by a starch day, a carbohydrate day, and a fruit day. The order of four consecutive days is repeated and must not be skipped or changed.
And now let's see how this diet is practically implemented (menu example to follow).
UN diet plan
Breakfast:
For all 90 days, breakfast is always fruit. Choices:
- Two of the fruits from the same tree. Two apples, oranges, pears, peaches, etc. but only ONE banana!
- A cup of berries
- A handful of dried fruit (about 8 pieces)
UN Diet - First Day - Protein Day
Breakfast:
Fruit
Lunch:
- One bowl of soup or broth, about 10 oz, without noodles. Substitute soup with either milk or yogurt.
- Grilled, boiled, stewed, or cooked meat or fish, about 8-9 oz. Substitute with 3 boiled or baked eggs or dairy products (soy products if you're dairy-free)
- One piece of whole wheat bread
- Non-calorie vegetables in large quantities or salad - unlimited quantities but without heavy dressings. Use just one tablespoon of oil and some lemon juice
Notes: Soup is mandatory except when dairy products are consumed. Drink milk or yogurt instead.
DO NOT mix different types of proteins in one meal or even in a day. If eating chicken for lunch, the chicken must be for dinner.
Dinner:
Dinner is the same as lunch, but without the soup and the bread. It is mandatory that if the meat is eaten for lunch, the same meat is eaten for dinner, and if eggs are eaten for lunch, eggs must be for dinner.
- The span between the meals must be at least four hours and no eating after 8:00 PM, although water and tea without sugar is allowed.
Consumption of proteins leads to the stimulation of gluconeogenesis (sugar glucose production from primary non-carbohydrate sources), which is an important system for obtaining energy for people on a diet.
UN Diet - Second Day - Starch Day
Breakfast:
Fruit
Lunch:
- A full plate of any starch-rich foods such as beans, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, rice, corn, wheat, millet, cereal, and potatoes. They are cooked in the form of soup with only the addition of spices
- One piece of whole wheat bread
- Salad - unlimited but without dressings, just one tablespoon of oil and some lemon juice
Dinner:
Dinner is half the size of lunch but without the bread.
- The span between the meals must be at least three hours and no eating after 8:00 PM, although water and tea without sugar is allowed.
UN Diet - Third Day - Carbohydrate Day
Breakfast:
Fruit
Lunch:
- Cooked pasta seasoned with tomato sauce with vegetables (except starchy vegetables), or pizza with pizza sauce and vegetables but without cheese or meat. Instead of pasta, you can have 2-3 croissants or one soft pretzel or other plain pastry.
Dinner:
You can have one or two pieces of pie or 4 squares of a sheet cake. Substitute with 3-4 ice cream scoops or 4 cookies. In addition, eat one row of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more).
- The span between the meals must be at least three hours and no eating after 8:00 PM, although water and tea without sugar is allowed.
UN Diet - Fourth Day - Fruit Day
Breakfast:
Fruit
Lunch and dinner:
- Eat only mixed fruits in unlimited amounts. Fresh fruit is recommended, but baked fruit without sugar is also allowed.
- The span between the meals must be at least two hours and no eating after 8:00 PM, although water and tea without sugar is allowed.
Coffee and tea (preferably without sugar and cream) can be consumed in unlimited quantities. You can also drink fresh-squeezed juices.
Additional notes:
- The diet cycles 4x7 days, or 28 days three times during the diet. After a whole cycle, on the 29th day, you're supposed to drink only water or herbal sugar-free tea and then continue on with the protein day.
- Diet has to stop after 90 days. If you wish, you can repeat the diet after a 3 month period.
- Replenish your intake of vitamins and minerals with multivitamin supplements once a day.
- Alcohol intake is not allowed during the diet.
Benefits of the UN Diet
The diet is very applicable and it is not difficult to follow. This is one of its greatest advantages. Also, the strict distribution of foods that are present with the UN diet will be much more motivating than a flexible diet.
The practice has shown that the UN diet helps significantly with weight loss, which acts as a motivation.
Disadvantages of the UN Diet
The UN diet does not follow nutritional recommendations on quality nutrition and does not provide the foundation for shaping proper eating habits. The goal of this diet is to permanently change the metabolism and to not gain the lost weight back, but this cannot be done if you are going to eat after the diet with old habits, which is very common.
Also according to the user's reports, the diet can cause monotony due to its menu. To avoid this, find different ways of preparing the food.
FAQ
1. I cheated. What now?
- Everybody breaks the diet at least one time. What to do if you eat a piece of cake on a starchy day? Do not be discouraged; continue with the right day tomorrow and not from the beginning.
2. Fruit Day - is it permitted to consume pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds...?
- "The fourth or fruit day is reserved for fruits, fresh juices, baked fruits, dry fruit, nuts, and seeds."- quoted from the UN book. But do not overdo it. The maximum amount of these foods should not exceed 3.5 oz because they are very caloric and divided into several meals. Candied fruit is NOT ALLOWED !!!
3. Fruit Day - do I have to have three meals or can I have fruit several times a day?
- A pause between meals is a minimum of 2 hours. The quantities of fruits are not limited, but limit bananas and other fruits rich in sugar to two a day.
4. Allegedly, with the UN diet, you can lose 20-30 pounds, but most people claim they lost 6-8 pounds in a month or two. What depends on how many pounds will I lose?
- Depends on many factors:
- How much extra weight we have - the greater the surplus, the easier it is to take off in the initial period,
- From the physical activity and its frequency,
- From the reaction of the organism to carbohydrates. Some people react to it, and some do not, and thus it's harder to lose the extra pounds,
- From not following the diet. Many people often violate the diet and complain about its inefficiency. If you cannot sustain a single cycle then you can't claim that the diet is ineffective.
5. Can I eat meat for lunch and fish for dinner?
- No, the types of protein should not be mixed in either the meal or even in one day.
6. Can I drink alcohol and carbonated drinks?
- Alcohol and carbonated drinks are forbidden. The reason - they slow down the weight loss process.
Conclusion
I find this diet fairly easy to use, except on day #4. After fruit for breakfast, I'm done with the fruit, lol. I like veggies more so this day is tough for me.
But the good thing is I don't even have to cook separate meals for my husband and me. Whatever I would normally make (meat, veggies, and side) I just eat on separate days. I always look forward to dinner on day #3. Hello, cake!
It does get tricky going out to eat. I once only ate the bread rolls at a restaurant on day #3. I wasn't hungry but did feel a little odd.
If you would like to try this challenge but aren't sure what to eat, you can download Free recipes for a cycle. Let's do this! Love your body 🙂
Obviously, it is your choice. I am not claiming it will work for you, but it worked for me, so please don't shoot the messenger 😉
Liked this post? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Irma Gomez says
Hi im starting with the diet this week June 08, 2020 so after the 4th day the cicle start again.
Thanks for ur help.
Jas says
Hi, Irma! Yes, that is correct. After the 4th (fruit) day, you start a protein day again and so forth seven cycles. Then the 29th day is a fasting day and start over. Good luck! 😀
Danijela says
For starch day, does the potato have to be cooked or baked? Does it make a difference?
Jas says
Hi Danijela, it is suggested to cook them with other vegetables in the form of a soup, but you can occasionally bake them just to switch it up a bit. However, use a minimum amount of fat - perhaps just a bit of cooking spray. Hope that helps. 🙂
Seide says
Thanks for getting back to me Jasna! For day two if i choose to eat rice, can i mix any type of vegetable with it or does it have to be a starchy vegetable? I downloaded your 4 day chart and the only thing thats not 100% clear is how much you’re allowed to eat. One full plate can be measured differently. For example on starch day, would i make 1 full 8oz cup of uncooked rice to split between lunch and dinner?
Jas says
No problem, Seide! One plate is generally a dinner plate or serving for one person. You really don't have to measure everything to grams. I always eat normal portions for lunch and half of that for dinner. Stick with mostly starchy vegetables on starch days, but it's OK to mix in other vegetables on occasion. If you keep mixing everything all the time, then the diet won't be efficient. It's about cycling the protein, starch, and carbs so that your metabolism changes.
Even when you're not on a specific diet it is advisable to cycle your carbs. So, you would have low/no carb days, moderate carb days and high carb days, in which you would take more fat (healthy fats) on low/no carb days, etc. Hope I didn't confuse you even more. 🙂 Pozdrav!
Seide says
Hi Jas,
I read up about this diet and they arent all quite the same. For example on Protein day are you eating as many vegetables as you want with the protein of choice? Also, do you eat a salad only or can you mix it up and have some grilled veggies, your protein, and some lettuce with oil and lemon? Another question, i looked over your example recipes and i saw you made pasta with zucchini and squash. Does it matter that those are starchy vegetables?
Jas says
Hi Seide,
As with any diet, you can be as strict as you want. You can eat salad in unlimited quantities as long as it is seasoned with oil and lemon. I'd stay away from heavy salads that can be a meal on their own. So, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, avocado, and onion mix, for example, is a good choice for a salad.
You can eat about a cup (two tops!) of vegetables with your protein day. Any more than that, you'll slow down the process. So it depends on how much and how quickly you want to lose.
Yes, you can use a bit of zucchini or squash in your pasta. Don't overdo it!
Hope this helps. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions. 🙂
Andina says
Hello Jes,
I was wondering what lunch/dinner looks like on day #4 ?
1 banana, 1 orange, 1 apple maybe? Is there any rule about how many fruits you can consume in one meal or which fruits you can combine?
Thank you in advance
Jas says
Hi, Andina! You can eat unlimited amounts of fruit (fresh or baked) for lunch and dinner and you can combine any fruit you wish, but not more than 1 banana a day. I bought too much fruit on my first fruit day and found out it's really filling and I couldn't eat as much as I thought I would.
Download the sheet in the post for ease of following along with each day. You can also download the recipes for one cycle available on the blog or click here. 🙂
peter gumley says
what is day 5 and 6
Jas says
Hi, Peter! There are no days 5 and 6. You rotate the 4-day plan 7 times (28 days total) and then you fast on the 29th day. Or if it's easier to understand, your day 5 would be the same as your day 1 - the protein day. If you complete the cycle of 90 days, then you need to make a 90-day break from this diet before you continue again. Hope that helps! 🙂
Cheryl B says
This diet was difficult the first 8 days. I cheated about 3 days, but only with suggested foods, just larger portions than I should. However, oddly enough the fruit day was the easiest. I gained 2 pounds. But I am into my 3rd week and have loss 14 pounds. I need to lost 20 pounds more. I know I will do it. Thanks to cake, pancakes and spaghetti. Like! Like! Thank you
Jas says
WOW! That's an amazing result! Good for you!!! I should do it again but I really dislike the fruit days, lol. Thanks for letting me know how it worked for you. 😀 You can reach your goal, but no cheating! 😉
Care Clam says
Thanks for sharing! I am always in search of different diet plans that could help to lose weight in weeks rather months. I am more consistent in diet plans that ends up in 3 to 4 weeks. Whenever I feel a bit bulging belly I start doing such diets. But I'll try this rotational diet. Just downloaded the chart! Loved your Q/A section though!
Ermira says
This diet looks pretty great but I just have a few questions. Am I ever allowed to eat any cereal, if yes in which day? Also, when on carbohydrates day can I eat a pancake with nutella and one piece of cake for dinner? Last one, is there any possible way to gain weigh with this diet? Have a great weekend!
Jas says
Yes, you can eat cereal on day #3 - carbohydrates day, but not for breakfast. Breakfast is always fruit. Also, adjust the amount of your dinner if you eat cereal for lunch, as it contains sugar. You can also replace cake with two pancakes and Nutella for dinner. The more you allow yourself to cheat, the slower the weight loss will be. If you follow the diet as suggested, it is not possible to gain weight. 🙂
Sanya says
Thank you for sharing!
Have tried this more than once and it worked, I lost at least 10kg and more, the trick is not giving up bcs the results WILL come if you follow the rules.
I just have one question and I failed to find the answer so was hoping that you could help me:
- what group of foods are chestnuts and mushrooms in?
I was never completely sure into which day to implement these delicious foods so I kept off of them when I did this diet.
Jas says
Hi, Sanya! So glad this diet worked for you too! You can consume chestnuts on day 2# - starch day, and mushrooms every day except on the fruit day. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in! Pozz.
Lori Hill-Smith says
Thank you for sharing this great resource for those who are trying to lose weight. I'm down 11 pounds and have about 20 more to go! Thank you for linking up at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty
Jas says
That is awesome, Lori! Good for you!! Starting a diet is the hardest part. Thanks for stopping in 🙂
Teresa - Aging Like a Fine Wine says
I've never heard of this diet, but it does sound interesting! You'll have to let us know how it works for you. Thank you for sharing at the #BloggingGrandmothersLInkParty.
Jas says
It was going slow at the beginning and then after about 10 days, I woke up 5 pounds lighter, lol. Then I was losing about 1-2 lbs/week.
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond says
I've never heard of the UN Diet Jas but my philosophy is to exercise regularly and eat a sensible well balance diet. I'm interested in reading more about how this diet works. Thanks for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. Have a great week!
Jas says
That'll work! I just have no time to exercise (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) but this diet works anyway. It really isn't a diet per se, as you can eat everything. Thanks for visiting, Sue!
Grammy Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Interesting, looks healthy and great download too! Thank you Jas for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I shared your post on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Jas says
Hi, Dee! This diet really works for me 🙂
Jelica says
I did a rotation diet a few years ago while I was reducing food sensitivities. I ended up losing weight - I did not realize the rotation alone was assisting with the process! Thanks for sharing this. I'll have to try this before the summer is over - I've got a few extra pounds I'd like to shed 😉
Jas says
Scientifically I have no clue how it works, but it does and I'm happy about it 🙂
Marie says
My son is getting married in Mexico in February and I'm starting to get panicked because I promised myself I'd lose some weight...a lot of weight and I haven't lost a pound. I need this diet right now and thank you Jas, for sharing it. Pinned!
Jas says
Marie, this diet really works!!! For me, it was a little slow in the beginning, about first 3 rotations, but then all of a sudden I lost 4 pounds overnight and continued to lose. Quite honestly, I never even cooked my meat. Always baked it or grilled it. Granted, I usually use grapeseed and olive oil when I cook, drink my coffee and tea without sugar, and never drink pop, so I'm sure that helps ease into this diet but still...Just stick with it for at least a month and I guarantee you'll see results! Let me know if you need more meal ideas for any of the days, I'd be happy to email them to you 🙂
Sandra L Garth says
This sounds like something I need to try but I have to make your No Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake first.
Jas says
I love this diet because you can have cake too! You have to wait until day #3 but hey...
Amparo says
I’ll love to follow this plan. I’m vegetarian , what can I eat instead of meat ? Thank you
Jas says
You can use eggs (boiled, fried, poached, scrambled) instead of meat. Good luck!
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond says
Hi Jas! Thanks for linking up and sharing with us at #overthemoon link party. Eating healthy, well balanced meals is the key to weight loss combined with exercise of course. Have a great day!
Jas says
Thank you, Sue! Totally agree 🙂
Mrs Shoes says
P.s. My calves are not fat. They are not even the same size. True story. A catastrophic break just under the kneecap in 2010 has left one leg permanently shrunken.
Now you see why I need to drink.
😉
Jas says
Ouch!!! Sorry about your leg. Makes me wanna drink too 😉
Mrs Shoes says
Though I eschew diet talk of all kinds, I did read on. Until the part where I can't drink alcohol. Seriously? Not gonna give up my *6 spicy caesars, wine soaked meats, or Irish coffee for any reason. Plus, cowboys love fat calves, & I do love my cowboy!
*Consumption may be slightly exaggerated for a laugh.
Jas says
Whatever pleases your man. Consumption exaggerated? I have all that before noon, LOL 😉