PSMF (Protein Modified Fasting Diet - Protein Diet) has been a popular diet in recent years, especially since high-protein diets have been proven effective.

1. What is a PSMF diet?
PSMF is a low-calorie diet that helps you lose a lot of weight quickly. Protein-Sparing or Protein Preservation refers to the main goal of this diet, which is to maintain muscle mass while losing weight.

The diet was developed by dietitians in the early 1980s as a way to help obese people lose fat. It consists of two phases. The first phase is called the "intensity phase", which lasts 4-6 months and requires severe caloric control. For 6-8 weeks, the amount of calories is gradually raised to its regular level.

2. The amount of calories and nutrients in the two stages of the PSMF diet
- The first stage of the diet (diet severity)
At this stage, a person consumes less than 800 calories a day and lasts for a maximum of 6 months. Nutritional sources are pure protein foods such as chicken meat, egg whites and fish. A person consumes 1.2-1.5 g protein per 1 kg of body weight that he sets as a target. For example, a person seeks to reach the weight of 64 kg and therefore eat 76-95 g of protein per day.

The diet also allows you to eat 20-50 g of carbohydrates per day during this phase, for example, equivalent to two slices of bread or three slices of fruit, while fat is considered the same in protein sources and prevents the intake of added fats such as oils, etc., which are in ready foods.

- The second phase of the diet (re-feeding phase)
At this stage, the calorie intake of fats and carbohydrates is gradually increased, and the amount of protein is reduced, where the amount of carbohydrates is raised initially to 45 g during the first month and then to 90 g during the second month, while the amount of protein becomes 40 g during the month Calories at this stage but gradually rise with the addition of carbohydrates and fats to the diet.

Protein foods, fiber-rich grains, vegetables and low-fat foods are allowed at this stage, and last for 6-8 weeks or about two months.

3. Does PSMF achieve real weight loss?
During the first phase of the diet, an obese person usually loses about 1-3 kg per week, and a faster weight loss occurs during the first two weeks of the diet, and stabilizes in the decrease in 6 months, and on average, a person loses about 18 kg during 12 weeks in low-calorie diets, Men lose more weight than women during this diet, and the loss is from fatty tissue and not from muscle mass.

4. Can a person maintain the weight lost after a PSMF diet?
We all know that it is easy to lose weight, but it is difficult to maintain the result, and studies have shown that after 2-3 years of following the PSMF diet many people gained 50% of the weight lost when following the diet.

In general, those who follow the PSMF diet openly while adhering to the advice of a dietitian and properly inserting carbohydrates into the diet, maintain their results for as long as possible.

5. Are there benefits to the PSMF diet?
In addition to weight loss, this diet offers a range of benefits such as:

Decreased blood sugar concentrations in people with type 2 diabetes.
Lower incidence of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics.
High HDL cholesterol levels and lower triglyceride levels.
Reduction of Blood pressure.
6. Does a person need to take supplements when exercising a PSMF diet?
Dieters may find it difficult to get all the nutrients from food alone because they are low in calories.This can cause an imbalance in their body's electrolytes, a dangerous condition.

In order to prevent this imbalance, vitamin, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium supplements can be taken during the diet, and this condition can be confirmed by checking kidney function.

7. Does PSMF cause ketones to form?
The PSMF diet is actually a combination of a low-carbohydrate-generating diet, a low-calorie diet, and ketones form when ketosis stores become too low, thus the body begins to oxidize body fat to be used as an alternative energy source, and when these stored fats break down, ketones are released.

Several studies have indicated that ketones inhibit appetite, which makes the PSMF diet easy to adhere to, and generally followers of this diet should drink about 1.9 liters of fluid per day to help the body to get rid of ketones after the end of its work and no harm in the kidney.

8. Who can benefit from the PSMF diet?
This diet should only be used by obese people who have failed to lose weight using traditional low-calorie diets.

Has a BMI value greater or equal to 30 kg / m2 (or)
It has a BMI value greater or equal to 27 kg / m2 with being diabetic, has high pressure, high cholesterol, breathlessness at bedtime, osteoarthritis or fat in the liver.
9. Is PSMF diet safe?
This diet is safe as long as your dietitian visits their dietitian during exercise.It is advised not to start this diet on your own and without consulting a dietitian.Analysis should be done every 6-8 weeks to make sure there is no health problem.

Headaches, fatigue, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, hair loss, changes in the menstrual cycle, sensitivity to cold weather, muscle cramps and bad breath.You should adjust the amount of salt, water, and type of supplements used in the diet to reduce the occurrence of these side effects.

Is PSMF safe for adolescents? Who is forbidden to follow this diet?
There is only one small study that indicates that this diet is safe for adolescents, but should be followed for them under the supervision of a medical specialist.

This diet should not be followed by those with BMI less than 27, or over 65 years of age.The diet is also prohibited for heart attack patients, heart failure and those with heart rhythm disorders and patients with liver and kidney failure.Pregnant and nursing mothers should not follow this diet either.

11- An example of a PSMF diet plan model of what is eaten during the day
Breakfast: White Cheese
Lunch: Chicken breast with oven, broccoli
Dinner: Salmon with lettuce salad without any seasoning
Vitamin and minerals supplement
Drink about two liters of fluid during the day
In the end, adherence to the instructions of any diet is a prerequisite for its success.This is what we tried to give fully about the instructions of the PSMF diet.You should check with the nutritionist regularly when following the PSMF diet to make sure there are no problems.This contributes to maintaining the weight that the person loses as long as possible.