Developed by a French doctor, the Dukan diet is one of the best weight loss diets. It helps to achieve optimal body weight and maintain it in the future. The system consists of four steps, 2 of which are aimed at weight loss and the other two are aimed at consolidating the results.
The Ducan Diet
The Dukan diet was developed by doctor Pierre Dukan. It is a balanced diet that allows you to no longer gain extra pounds once the weight loss diet is over. The nutritionist claims that each person has their own supply of cells that contribute to fat accumulation. For those who have more, it is more difficult to lose excess pounds. 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 diet is a unique diet. You can eat the indicated foods in unlimited quantities until you are completely saturated.
The principle of the weight loss diet is that at first nutrition is carried out only with the help of protein foods. Its quantity is not limited. This is because the process of digestion and assimilation will require more energy than processing fats and carbohydrates. Thus, the body will spend the calories received, without turning food into subcutaneous fat. After that, vegetables are introduced into the menu, which are rich in fiber and vitamins. Then the result is consolidated.
The results are visible from the first days, after the start of compliance with the diet. The extra pounds disappear quite quickly. The weight loss method does not pose a threat 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 calorie counting.
However, excess protein can cause excessive stress on the kidneys, blood vessels, and liver. This can lead to high cholesterol levels. Insufficient fiber intake can lead to problems with the gastrointestinal tract and disorders of the microflora. You must follow the diet under the supervision of a doctor. It is contraindicated in people with kidney failure, prone to heart disease, hypertension and disorders of the reproductive system.
Principles and phases
The Dukan Diet has four phases. A woman must overcome:
- Stage Attack;
- Scene Alternation;
- Consolidation stage;
- Stage stabilization.
The time needed for each step depends on the weight to be lost. Thus, the minimum number of days for the attack stage is 2 days. It can last up to 10 days maximum. The alternation phase takes from 15 to 330 days. The Consolidation stage requires 50 to 500 days. The terms are calculated individually.
The weight loss method requires compliance with a number of rules. They can vary depending on the stage a woman is going through. The characteristics common to all periods of weight loss are:
- There is no point in reducing the calorie content of the daily menu. Going back to the previous diet will also return those extra pounds. Therefore, the daily menu should be such that a person cannot accumulate body fat and constantly consolidate the result of weight loss.
- The restriction of products and their quantity does not bring results. Mono-regimes 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 a diet. Otherwise, they can become a temptation.
- Oat bran is one of the main components of the Dukan diet. Their presence in the daily diet is the guarantee of a good result. They help to lose weight, provide quick satiety and help cleanse the stomach of toxins. The bran will help reduce the overall caloric content of the diet.
- It is important to stay physically active. The weight loss diet does not imply constant training in the gym. However, walking and exercising regularly at home will only help with weight loss. Abdominal exercises and squats will suffice. The load should be increased gradually.
- Sugar, fried potatoes, bananas, cherries, grapes and alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all stages of the diet.
- You should drink at least 2 liters of clean water per day.
attack step
The Attack Phase is the first stage of Dukan Diet weight loss. Doctors consider it the most dangerous to health. The author of the diet agrees with this opinion and gives clear recommendations for following the weight loss diet. They must follow relentlessly.
First of all, you need to determine the amount of excess weight. To do this, you can use the free calculator. It can be found on the official Dukan website. The calculation process consists of completing a questionnaire. When all the data is entered, a letter with the relevant information will be sent to the courier specified during the action. Averaged data can also be obtained independently. So, if a woman's height is 164 cm, her optimal weight is 54 kg.
The attack phase can only be observed during the recommended period. It is believed that with its help a person will be able to 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 how much extra weight a comma a woman has. The duration of the attack phase will be:
- 1-3 days, if the quantity of excess kg according to the calculator is less than 5.
- 3-5 days if the amount of excess weight is 5-10.
- 5 to 7 days if overweight exceeds 10 kg.
It is strictly forbidden to observe the Attack phase for more than 9 days. A woman should understand that the attack phase is not intended to get rid of excess weight as soon as possible, but to start the mechanisms of fat breakdown in the body. You must control your condition. It is necessary to remember the danger of the method. According to the diet, only animal protein is allowed. This increases the load on the kidneys, which can cause dehydration. This is what rapid weight loss during the stage is based on. The attack phase has a motivating effect, showing that the weight can be reduced.
When you are on a weight loss diet, you need to drink plenty of water. It is recommended to consume at least 1. 5 to 3 liters of liquid 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 replacement for one of your meals.
Weight loss with the Dukan diet starts with protein because the author of the diet believes that this product is the optimal food for humans. The body has known it since antiquity. At the same time, fast food and sweets are foreign to the human body. Protein is the most difficult food to digest. To digest them, the body consumes a large amount of energy. This leads to the fact that the transformation of the received calories into fatty 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 to compliance
The Dukan diet is not for everyone. It is recommended to abandon the weight loss method if there is:
- heart disease;
- Diabetes;
- 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 curd dishes, the attack phase will be a delicious phase of the diet. At this stage, it is allowed to use:
- Seafood. It can be crabs, shrimps, rapana, mussels, squid and crayfish.
- Meat. It is recommended to give preference to lean pork, ham, fresh veal, rabbit meat, lean beef steak.
- Eggs. Dr. Dukan recommends eating chicken and quail eggs.
- Bird. You can eat quail, chicken, guinea fowl or turkey.
- Fish. It is allowed to cook dishes based on mackerel, perch, navaga, salmon, plaice, trout, cod, salmon or carp.
- Milk and dairy products. 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 soft processed cheese.
- Waste. A woman can eat tongues, chicken hearts, kidneys, beef liver.
- Vegetables. Pumpkin, tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus, any type of cabbage, squash, celery, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, onions, beets and zucchini are available for consumption.
You can cook food in any way. Restrictions are imposed only for frying with vegetable oil. It is recommended that food be steamed, grilled or baked. You have to give up sugar. Dr. Dukan recommends the use of sweeteners. All drinks are allowed. You can even drink soda. However, preference should be given to sugar-free drinks. Soda is recommended to be consumed with a light mark.
However, other physicians are somewhat wary of such a recommendation. They recommend being careful with sodas and sweeteners. Conventional sugar is harmful to the figure and health. No studies have been conducted on sweeteners. However, this product is a concentrate. Its use can lead to disruption of the functioning of internal organs. Therefore, it is better to refuse the use of the product. Similar rules apply to soda. In these drinks there are always additives that can be harmful.
It is not necessary to eat fresh food. Dr. Dukan authorizes the use of nutritional 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. This:
- fatty food;
- potatoes and lamb;
- pasta and all kinds of legumes;
- sugar and all kinds of sweets;
- sauces and mayonnaise.
sample menu
To lose weight with the Dukan diet, you have to walk at least 20 minutes a day and do sports. 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 indicated in dry form. Replacement should be done with care. The fact is that bran and buckwheat have different nutritional properties and are absorbed by the body in different ways.
If the allowable rate in the products has been exceeded, stagnation may occur. Cooking buckwheat is at your discretion. It can be boiled in water, milk or steamed. You need to drink 2 liters of liquid per day. Coffee and tea are included in this volume. The list of products that can be consumed on a given day is strictly defined. Passing the attack stage, it is recommended to strictly follow the developed menu.
| Day | Breakfast | Having dinner | afternoon tea | Having dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lean meat omelet, a cup of coffee | Cod soup, bread and bran | cottage cheese | Baked meat and unsweetened green tea |
| Tuesday | Cottage cheese, bran bread | Meat and quail egg soup | Plain low-fat yogurt | Fish stewed in its own juice |
| Wednesday | Omelette, lightly salted fish, a cup of coffee | Veal cutlets without onions, light natural yogurt | A glass of bran kefir | boiled squid |
| Thursday | Bran bread and cheese, strong unsweetened tea | Fish soup | Casserole of cottage cheese, unsweetened tea | Chicken fillet in the oven, a glass of kefir |
| Friday | Boiled eggs, a cup of coffee | Fish cutlets without onions, light natural yogurt | Low fat milk, bread and bran | Braised beef, unsweetened tea |
| Saturday | Omelet, cup of coffee | Meatball soup | Natural low fat yogurt and oat bran | Mussels simmered, unsweetened tea |
| Sunday | Bran cottage cheese, a cup of coffee | Ukha, plain low-fat yogurt | Casserole of cottage cheese, a glass of kefir | Meatballs and plain low-fat yogurt |
Possible results
The first phase of the Dukan diet is essential to start the fat burning process. In 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 monitor your condition carefully. If dry mouth, dizziness or other side effects appear, it is worth limiting the duration of the phase or completely interrupting weight loss using the method.
Interlacing step
The second phase is the main one in weight loss. The duration can be any, but it often depends on the amount of extra pounds to be lost. It must be followed until the weight is ideal. The main principles of the second stage are as follows:
- Vegetables. If during the attack the diet was exclusively protein, now you need to add vegetables. They are rich in fiber. You can add cucumbers and tomatoes, all kinds of cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, legumes, spinach and green vegetables. Fattier cheese, wine, cream and natural ketchup are also added.
- Alternating protein and mixed days. The mixed daily menu involves a combination of protein foods with vegetable foods. The alternation scheme is selected individually, depending on the required weight loss.
- More sound. The amount of bran consumed should be increased. This is especially true for those who suffer from constipation while on the diet.
- More liquid. Daily fluid intake should be increased by at least half a liter.
- Increase in physical activity. The hike can be extended to an hour or two.
The menu practically does not differ from the attack stage, the only difference is the presence of alternation. On mixed days, you can dilute meat and fish dishes with baked, stewed or fresh vegetables.
Consolidation stage
The third stage is not characterized by rapid weight loss. On average, 400g of excess is consumed per week. However, the purpose of the step is to consolidate the result. This will save the result and not let the extra pounds return. The duration is individual. Stage 3 rules include:
- Starch. It is worth adding potatoes, bread, pasta to the diet. However, their use should be moderate.
- Fiber. The daily rate of sound should again be increased.
- Honey. You can add sweetener or honey at this point. Use allowed up to 3 teaspoons at a time.
- Belly vacation. The plan may include concessions. They can be done twice a week, however, do not lose. During this "holiday" you can eat any food. However, you should limit yourself to one method.
- Offensive. Once a week you need to return to the menu of the first phase. It can be any day and any food allowed during the attack phase.
A sample weekly menu might look like this:
| Day | Breakfast | Having dinner | afternoon tea | Having dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Bran cottage cheese, unsweetened tea | Meat soup, 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 | Cheesecakes, fruits, a cup of coffee |
| Wednesday | Lean cutlets, salad | meat soup | Fruits with natural yogurt and bran | Vegetable salad with meat in the oven |
| Thursday | Menu of one of the attack days | |||
| Friday | Omelet, a glass of kefir | Meatball soup, salad | bran berries | Baked fish with vegetables |
| Saturday | Casserole of cottage cheese with a cup of coffee and bran | Fish soup, plain low fat yogurt | Fruit | Rice with mussels cooked with cheese |
| Sunday | Low-fat cottage cheese, boiled eggs and a cup of coffee | Turkey cutlets, vegetable salad | Berries and fruits, bran | Vegetable stew, a glass of wine |
Stabilization stage
The stabilization step is the last. It can be compared to going off a diet. However, this implies that a person will follow a healthy diet all the time. The diet can include any product, but it should not be too harmful. You have to do it gradually. Every week you have to organize another attack day. The sound and consumption regime remain the same. Physical activity must become regular.
Doctor's opinion
The Dukan diet is varied. Most people don't tolerate carbohydrate-free diets easily. This is due to the fact that you have to give up most of the usual products. By following Dukan's weight loss plan, you can cook a wide variety of meals. It allows you to effectively reduce weight, as well as keep it after the end of the fat burning period. Extra pounds disappear quickly. The method is a variant 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. If you strictly adhere to the plan, you can part with the hated kilograms forever.
Almost anyone can use the diet, if no contraindications are found. It can be various diseases, for example, of the renal or cardiovascular system. In addition, the diet is not recommended for pregnant women and adolescents. Excess protein is the main cause of liver and vascular diseases. It can also lead to high cholesterol levels. Therefore, before embarking on any weight loss program, you should consult your doctor.