Developed by a French doctor, the Dukan Diet is one of the best weight loss programs out there. It helps to achieve and maintain an optimal body weight in the future. The system includes four stages, 2 of which are aimed at weight loss and the other 2 are aimed at consolidating results.
Ducan's diet
The Dukan Diet was developed by physician Pierre Dukan. It is a balanced diet that allows you not to gain extra pounds again after completing weight loss. The nutritionist claims that each person has their own supply of cells that contribute to the accumulation of fat. Shedding extra pounds is harder for those who have more of it. Therefore, in the Dukan diet, a calculation is made based on the individual characteristics of each person's body.
A feature of the weight loss scheme is a unique diet. You can eat the specified foods in unlimited amounts until you are completely full.
The principle of the weight loss scheme is that initially the diet is carried out only with the help of protein foods. Its quantity is not limited. This is because the process of digestion and assimilation requires more energy than the processing of fats and carbohydrates. So the body will use the calories received without processing the food into subcutaneous fat. After that, vegetables are added to the menu, which are rich in fiber and vitamins. The result is then consolidated.
The results are already visible in the first days after starting to follow the diet. Extra pounds go away quickly enough. The method of losing weight does not pose any danger to the body. Muscle mass is preserved, the condition of the skin, nail plates and hairline improves. Thanks to a detailed description of the weight loss system, the result can easily be fixed for many years. The technique does not require counting calories.
However, excess protein can put undue stress on the kidneys, blood vessels and liver. This can lead to high cholesterol levels. Inadequate intake of fiber can lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract and disruption of the microflora. You must follow the diet under the supervision of a doctor. It is contraindicated in people with renal failure, a tendency to heart disease, hypertension and disorders of the reproductive system.
principles and phases
The Dukan Diet consists of four phases. A woman must overcome:
- Level Attack;
- change of stage;
- stage consolidation;
- level stabilization.
The time required for each stage depends on the weight you want to lose. Therefore, the minimum number of days for the attack phase is 2 days. It can last a maximum of 10 days. The transition phase lasts 15 to 330 days. The consolidation phase requires 50 to 500 days. Transit times are calculated individually.
The method of losing weight requires compliance with a number of rules. They can vary depending on the stage a woman is going through. Common features of all phases of weight loss are:
- There is no point in reducing the calorie content of the daily menu. Returning to the previous diet will also return those extra pounds. Therefore, the daily menu should be such that a person can not accumulate body fat and constantly consolidate the result of losing weight.
- Restricting the products and their quantity does not bring any results. Mono diets are not effective because a breakdown is inevitable. The Dukan Diet offers a varied diet. There is no food limit. You must eat until you are full.
- It is recommended to get rid of all forbidden foods in the kitchen before starting any diet. Otherwise, they can become tempting.
- Oat bran is one of the main components of the Dukan diet. Their presence in the daily diet is a guarantee of a good result. They help to lose weight, provide a quick feeling of satiety and help cleanse the stomach of toxins. Bran helps reduce the total calorie content of food.
- It is important to stay physically active. The weight loss program does not include constant training in the gym. However, walking and exercising regularly at home will only help with weight loss. Abdominal exercises and squats will do. The load should be gradually increased.
- Sugar, fried potatoes, bananas, cherries, grapes and alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all stages of the diet.
- You must drink at least 2 liters of drinking water daily.
attack phase
The attack phase is the first phase of weight loss on the Dukan diet. Doctors consider it the most dangerous for health. The author of the diet agrees with this opinion and gives clear recommendations for compliance with weight loss. You must follow relentlessly.
First you need to determine the level of excess weight. You can use the free calculator for this. It can be found on Dukan's official website. The calculation process consists of filling out a questionnaire. When all the data is entered, a letter with the relevant information will be sent to the e-mail address specified in the promotion. Averaged data can also be obtained independently. So if a woman is 164 cm tall, her optimal weight is 54 kg.
The attack phase can only be observed for the recommended period of time. It is believed that with its help, a person can immediately achieve the desired weight. However, this is impossible and dangerous. During the attack phase, you can lose up to 6 kg. In this case, the length of the period can vary depending on the extra weight that a woman has. The duration of the attack phase is:
- 1-3 days if the amount of excess according to the calculator is less than 5 kg.
- 3-5 days if the overweight is 5-10.
- 5-7 days if excess weight exceeds 10 kg.
It is strictly forbidden to observe the attack phase longer than 9 days. A woman should understand that the attack phase is not designed to get rid of excess weight as quickly as possible, but to start the mechanisms of fat loss in the body. You have to control your condition. It is necessary to remember the danger of the method. According to the diet, only animal proteins are allowed. This increases the workload on the kidneys, which can lead to dehydration. This is the basis of the rapid weight loss during the phase. The attack phase has a motivating effect and shows that weight can be reduced.
When following a weight loss diet, you need to drink plenty of water. It is recommended to consume at least 1. 5-3 liters of fluids per day. In addition, it is recommended to eat oat bran. You need to consume 1. 5 tablespoons of the product per day. He drinks a lot of water. Eating bran with liquid can be used as a snack or as a substitute for one of your meals.
Weight loss with the Dukan diet begins with protein, since the author of the scheme believes that this product is the optimal food for humans. The body has known it since ancient times. At the same time, fast food and sweets are alien to the human body. Proteins are the most difficult foods to digest. To digest them, the body uses a lot of energy. As a result, the conversion of the calories ingested into fat tissue is almost impossible. It is only important to ensure that the body receives pure protein. In this case, the fat content should be minimal.
Contraindications for compliance
The Dukan Diet is not for everyone. It is recommended to abandon the method of weight loss if:
- heart disease;
- diabetes mellitus;
- pathology of the kidneys and liver;
- gastritis, pancreatitis or cholecystitis.
What Foods Can You Eat?
If a person likes to eat seafood, fish, meat, eggs and cottage cheese dishes, then the attack phase will be a delicious phase of the diet. At this time it is allowed to use:
- Seafood. It can be crab, shrimp, rapana, mussels, squid and crayfish.
- Meat. It is recommended to give preference to lean pork, ham, fresh veal, rabbit meat, lean beef steak.
- eggs. drDukan recommends eating chicken and quail eggs.
- Bird. You can eat quail, chicken, guinea fowl or turkey.
- Fishes. It is allowed to prepare dishes from mackerel, perch, navaga, salmon, flounder, trout, cod, salmon or carp.
- Milk and milkproducts. You can add kefir, soy cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and milk to the daily menu. All products must be fat-free. It is allowed to use processed cheese.
- Offal. A woman can eat tongues, chicken hearts, kidneys, beef liver.
- Vegetables. Squash, tomato, lettuce, asparagus, any type of cabbage, squash, celery, carrot, cucumber, radish, onion, beet, and zucchini are available for consumption.
You can cook food any way you like. There are only restrictions when frying with vegetable oil. It is recommended to steam, grill or put in the oven food. Sugar must be avoided. drDukan recommends using sweeteners. All drinks are allowed. You can even drink soda. However, it is worth giving preference to drinks without sugar. It is recommended to consume soda with a light mark.
However, other doctors are rather skeptical about such a recommendation. They recommend being careful with soda and sweeteners. Classic sugar is bad for your body and your health. No studies have been conducted on sweeteners. However, this product is a concentrate. Its use can lead to dysfunction of internal organs. Therefore, it is better to refuse to use the product. Similar rules apply to soda. In such drinks there are always additives that can be harmful.
It is not necessary to eat fresh food. drDukan allows the use of dietary supplements. However, they must be natural. It is recommended to give preference to:
- ginger and cinnamon;
- vinegar and lemon;
- onions and garlic;
- turmeric and cumin;
- mustard and gelatin;
- Balsamic Sauce.
Some products are allowed to be consumed, but in limited quantities. So, per day you can eat no more than 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 egg yolks and 8 natural crab sticks. Some products are prohibited. That:
- fat containing food;
- potatoes and lamb;
- pasta and all kinds of legumes;
- sugar and sweets of all kinds;
- sauces and mayonnaise.
sample menu
To lose weight on the Dukan Diet, you need to walk and exercise for at least 20 minutes a day. In addition, it is worth eating bran. If a woman does not tolerate them, you can use 1. 5 tablespoons of buckwheat. The volume is given in dry form. The exchange should be done carefully. The fact is that bran and buckwheat differ in nutritional properties and are absorbed by the body in different ways.
If the allowable rate has been exceeded in the products, stagnation may occur. Cooking buckwheat is at your own discretion. It can be boiled in water, milk or steamed. You need to drink 2 liters of fluid a day. Coffee and tea are included in this volume. The list of products that can be consumed on a given day is strictly fixed. After passing the attack phase, it is recommended to strictly follow the developed menu.
| Day | breakfast | dinner | Afternoon tea | dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lean meat omelette, a cup of coffee | Cod soup, bread and bran | cottage cheese | Baked meat and unsweetened green tea |
| Tuesday | cottage cheese, bran bread | Soup with meat and quail eggs | Low-fat natural yoghurt | Fish stewed in its own juice |
| Wednesday | Omelet, lightly salted fish, a cup of coffee | Veal escalope without onions, low-fat natural yoghurt | A glass of kefir with bran | boiled squid |
| Thursday | Bread with bran and cheese, strong unsweetened tea | Fishsoup | Cottage cheese casserole, unsweetened tea | Baked chicken fillet, a glass of kefir |
| Friday | Boiled eggs, a cup of coffee | Fish chops without onions, low-fat natural yoghurt | Low-fat milk, bread and bran | Braised beef, unsweetened tea |
| Saturday | Omelet, cup of coffee | Soup with meatballs | Low-fat plain yogurt and oat bran | Braised clams, unsweetened tea |
| Sunday | Cottage cheese with bran, a cup of coffee | Ukha, low-fat natural yoghurt | Cottage cheese casserole, a glass of kefir | Meatballs and low-fat natural yoghurt |
Possible results
The first phase of the Dukan Diet is important to start the fat burning process. Within a week you can lose 5-7 kg. If you reduce the phase to 72 hours, you can reduce the weight by 2-3 kg. It is important to carefully monitor your condition. If dry mouth, dizziness or other side effects occur, it is worth limiting the duration of the phase or stopping the weight loss method completely.
interleave level
The second phase is the most important in losing weight. The duration can be any, but often depends on the amount of extra pounds that need to be lost. It should be followed until the weight is ideal. The main principles of the second stage are as follows:
- Vegetables. If the diet during the attack was exclusively protein, now you need to add vegetables. They are high in fiber. You can add cucumbers and tomatoes, all kinds of cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, legumes, spinach and greens. Fatty cheese, wine, cream and natural ketchup are also added.
- Alternation of protein and mixed days. The mixed daily menu includes a combination of protein foods with plant foods. The change scheme is selected individually, based on the required weight loss.
- More bran. The amount of bran consumed should be increased. This is especially true for those who suffer from constipation while dieting.
- more fluid. Daily fluid intake should be increased by at least half a liter.
- Increased physical activity. Hiking can be extended to an hour or two.
The menu practically does not differ from the Attack level, the only difference is the presence of switches. On mixed days, you can dilute meat and fish dishes with baked, stewed or fresh vegetables.
consolidation phase
The third stage is not characterized by rapid weight loss. An average of 400 g excess is consumed per week. However, the purpose of the stage is to consolidate the result. This will save the result and not let the extra pounds come back. The duration is individual. Level 3 rules include:
- Strength. It is worth adding potatoes, bread and pasta to the diet. However, their use should be moderate.
- Bran. The daily amount of bran should be increased again.
- Treasure. You can add sweeteners or honey at this stage. Permitted use of up to 3 teaspoons at a time.
- Belly vacation. The diet may include concessions. They can be done twice a week, but do not lose. During these "holidays" you can eat anything. However, you should limit yourself to one method.
- Attack. Once a week you need to return to the first phase menu. This can be any day and any food allowed during the attack phase.
An example weekly menu could look like this:
| Day | breakfast | dinner | Afternoon tea | dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Cottage cheese with bran, unsweetened tea | Soup with meat, a glass of kefir | fruit | Baked chicken fillet, vegetables, potatoes |
| Tuesday | Omelette with chicken fillet, a cup of coffee | Fish soup and vegetable salad | berries and bran | Cheesecake, fruit, a cup of coffee |
| Wednesday | Lean chops, salad | meat soup | Fruit with natural yoghurt and bran | Vegetable salad with baked meat |
| Thursday | Menu of one of the attack days | |||
| Friday | Omelet, a glass of kefir | Soup with meatballs, salad | berries with bran | Fish in the oven with vegetables |
| Saturday | Cottage cheese casserole with a cup of coffee and bran | Fish soup, low-fat natural yoghurt | fruit | Rice with baked mussels in cheese |
| Sunday | Low-fat cottage cheese, boiled eggs and a cup of coffee | Turkey escalope, vegetable salad | berries and fruits, bran | Stew with vegetables, a glass of wine |
stabilization phase
The stabilization phase is the last. It can be compared to a diet. However, it implies that a person adheres to a healthy diet all the time. The diet can contain any products, but they should not be too harmful. It should be done gradually. Every week you have to agree on another attack day. Bran and drinking regime remain the same. Physical activity should become regular.
doctor's opinion
The Dukan diet is multifaceted. Most people do not easily tolerate a carbohydrate-free diet. This is because you have to do without most of the usual products. By following Dukan's weight loss plan, you can cook a variety of meals. It allows you to effectively lose weight and keep it off after the fat burning period is over. Excess pounds disappear quickly. The method is a variation of a balanced diet. The diet is designed for the long term. This allows you to improve the functions and metabolic processes of the body. Those who strictly adhere to the plan can part with the hated kilograms forever.
Almost everyone can use the diet if no contraindications are found. They can be various diseases, for example, kidney or cardiovascular system. The diet is also not recommended for pregnant women and young people. An excess of protein is the main cause of liver and vascular diseases. It can also lead to high cholesterol levels. Therefore, before you start weight loss, you should consult your doctor.