Try the popular, high protein, four-phase French Dukan Diet for effective weight loss and eat what you enjoy.
WHAT IS THE DUKAN DIET?
The Dukan Diet was created by French nutritionist and dietician Dr. Pierre Dukan. The French doctor initially began his medical practice as a neurologist. However, over 40,000 patients later, Dukan has become a world renown dietician due to his dietary program#. In 2000, “The Dukan Diet” was published and made the already popular French doctor into a household name. Over the next decade, Dukan’s dietary program became a global success as his nutritional plan became a hit in the U.K. and America. With the widespread success, Dukan has expanded his dietary program to include online stores and online coaching.
HOW IT WORKS
The Dukan Diet is a high protein, low fat and low carb diet. Individuals are allowed to eat as much as they want from the list of 100 acceptable foods. The diet is not designed to be an instant weight loss program. Instead, it’s geared more towards a gradual weight loss that can be sustained for long periods of time.
The diet is broken down into four phases to guide the dieters in their weight loss journey. Each phase is designed to eat specific foods, exercise, consume water and make progress. The first three phases last as long as it takes to get to your desired weight. The last phase is designed to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
THE PHASES OF THE DUKAN DIET
The Dukan Diet has 4 distinct phases to its program for individuals to follow.
ATTACK
This phase is a crash course in protein. Individuals are to choose from 68 high protein foods, which are mostly from lean meats like fish, chicken, lean ham and other sources like eggs. Additionally, individuals are to consume 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 1.5 liters of water daily. The oat bran is high in fiber, helps to feel more satiated and is the only source of carbs allowed in this phase. Dieters are also supposed to walk for 20 minutes per day. This phase can last up to 10 days based on the desired amount of weight loss. On average, most people stay in this phase for about 5 days and lose roughly 4 to 7 pounds.
CRUISE
This phase is the period where individuals will lose their most weight. The Cruise phase adds 32 vegetables to the amount of foods you are allowed to eat, bringing the total up to the diet’s 100 acceptable foods allowed. The vegetables consumed in this phase are non-starchy, meaning that vegetables like potatoes are not allowed. This phase alternates days of foods consumed. One day will be a pure protein day like in the Attack phase. The next day will be protein and vegetables. Individuals are to continue consuming the same amount of oat bran and water per day as in the Attack phase. Dieters are also supposed to walk 30 minutes each day. The Cruise phase’s duration depends on the amount of weight dieters want to lose. Typically, this phase lasts 3 days per pound of weight until you get to your desired weight.
CONSOLIDATION
This phase is designed to prevent dieters from gaining their lost weight back by teaching them how to make this diet their lifestyle. Dieters can eat as much protein and vegetables each day, along with water and oat bran as in the previous phases. This phase allows dieters to return some of the foods that were initially forbidden. For example, foods like fruit, cheese and bread can be consumed in small servings each week. Also, dieters are allowed to have one to two celebratory meals each week, meaning they are allowed to eat whatever they want. Dieters will need to have one pure protein day in this phase and make it the same day for each week. Also, individuals will have to walk 25 minutes each day. The duration of the Consolidation phase is to last 5 days per every pound lost in the Cruise phase. So, if you lost 18 pounds in the Cruise phase, then the Consolidation phase will last 90 days or 3 months.
PERMANENT STABILIZATION
The final phase is designed to be your lifestyle for the rest of your life. Dukan believes that individuals will have learned how to eat healthily by now from the strict guidelines in the first three phases. Dieters will have established their routines or patterns. This phase allows dieters to eat whatever they want for 6 days a week as long as they have one pure protein day per week. This phase has three rules that must be followed:
- Consume 3 Tablespoons of oat bran per day.
- Choose to take the stairs instead of using an elevator or escalator
- Have a pure protein day every Thursday
Dieters must also participate in regular exercise including walking each day like in the previous phases.
RECOMMENDED FOODS FOR THE DUKAN DIET
Meat and Offal (Organ Meats), Fish, Seafood, Poultry, Non-fat dairy products, Vegetable Proteins (Tofu), Vegetables
HOW DOES THE DUKAN DIET COMPARE TO OTHER DIETS?
There are numerous other high protein/low carb diets out there including the popular Atkins diet. However, there are several differences between the Dukan Diet and other diets like the Atkins diet:
- There’s no counting calories
- Focuses on lower consumptions of fat
- The 100 allowed foods are all natural
- No limitations to the amount of you can eat from the 100 allowed foods list
DUKAN DIET BENEFITS
- The diet stresses eating lean meat and vegetables which are healthy.
- Fat intake is low
- Water intake is emphasized
- Multivitamins are recommended
- There’s also an emphasis placed on exercising each day.
- The combined diet and exercise recommendations are great for preventing health conditions like heart disease, hypertension, and obesity.
- Dieters will see a loss of weight relatively quickly with this diet.
- The quick weight loss could motivate individuals to stay committed and disciplined.
- The overall goal with the diet is to provide for a healthier lifestyle not just
DUKAN-DIET DRAWBACKS
- Does not include all of the nutrients that a body needs
- Excludes fruits, whole grains, and healthy fat
- The significant weight loss of short periods could cause health problems like gallstones
- The initial weight loss is not of body fat but mostly water and muscle mass
- Increased constipation
- Bad Breath and dry mouth
- Increased fatigue due to lack of carbs
- The diet doesn’t educate enough on carb restrictions, which could lead to individuals remaining too long in a carb depleted stated. This could cause severe nutrient deficiencies
- The all you can eat phase could cause problems long term. There’s no emphasis on portion control.
- The initial phase doesn’t provide enough healthy items like essential vitamins, fiber, and foods for heart health.
- Eating meat all the time could get expensive.
- High protein diet could place more stress on the kidneys and liver.
- The final phase says you can eat what you want for 6 days but have one pure protein day on the 7th day of each week. This doesn’t appear to balance out the calories consumed on the first 6 days. One pure protein day and exercise won’t balance out 6 days of eating anything or everything.
