Are you interested in losing weight quickly and easily? Why not try the Dukan diet! This diet is great for people who want quick results and clear rules to follow instead of relying on the “everything in moderation” philosophy which certainly doesn’t work with everyone. So what is the Dukan Diet and how you can use it to manage your weight?
History
Pierre Dukan, a French doctor, created this low-carb diet after he became interested in obesity issues. According to Dukan, he has spent 40 years doing clinical nutrition studies and had helped over 40,000 patients. In 2000, Dukan published his first diet book titled “I don’t know how to lose weight” and it reached great success in France, so it was soon followed by book additions about the diet, as well as different cookbooks. In 2011, Dukan released a new edition called The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever, this time for the US market, and it also became a best seller. Since then, Dukan’s books about Dukan Diet sold over 7 million copies in more than 14 languages.
Features and stages
Dukan diet is quite easy to follow, even though there are plenty of restrictions. The diet has 4 phases, each one with different rules and goals. This is the original Dukan Diet, but today, there are variations that still rely on the same principles:
Phase 1: Attack
The Attack stage of the diet is supposed to kick start your weight loss. This phase lasts between 2 and 7 days and it forbids everything except the unlimited amounts of high-protein foods. There are 72 allowed foods, some of which include lean beef, lean veal, buffalo, venison, chicken, turkey, eggs, tofu, etc. This phase also asks for 1.5 teaspoons of oat bran every day (to aid digestion) and a 20-minute walk.
Phase 2: Cruise
The cruise phase is supposed to last until you reach your desired weight (usually about 3 days for every pound you want to lose). During this phase, you can eat all the high-protein foods of Phase 1, and every other day, you can also eat some vegetables. The allowed veggies are broccoli, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes, and the dieter can eat as many of the allowed ingredients as they like. However, starchy veggies like potatoes or corn are not allowed. Additionally, it’s necessary to eat 2 tablespoons of oat bran every day and boost your daily exercise to 30 minutes of brisk walk or any other moderate activity.
Phase 3: Consolidation
During this phase, foods that were previously forbidden can be reintroduced, but slowly. According to Dukan, people can enjoy two celebration meals a week where they can eat whatever they like. During this phase, people will start to introduce fruit and more salads with quality chilli olive oil to boost the taste. Some fat like olive oil and infused olive oil can slowly start to be used at this phase, but it’s crucial to still stick to some restrictions.
Phase 4: Permanent stabilization
This phase is supposed to be practiced for the rest of the dieter’s life to ensure desired weight maintenance. Phase 4 has three rules: take the stairs whenever you can, consume three tablespoons of oat bran daily, and repeat Phase 1 once a week.
Effects
According to Dukan, this diet produces fast initial results, which is something that motivates people to stick to the program and continue pushing forward. The first two phases are designed for weight loss, and the second two were designed for weight maintenance. This diet is quite similar to Keto (or ketogenic) diet since both of them focus on protein and fat and leave out carbs and sugars. Our bodies are designed to burn carbs we eat in order to get energy. If the supplies are plentiful, there’s no need to search for other sources to burn. However, with Keto and Dukan which eliminate carbs, the body needs to switch to burning fat instead. Usually, this strategy has desirable weight loss effects, even though it doesn’t come without its problems (look up ketosis state).
If you’re looking for a diet to try out this year, why not try Dukan Diet. Consult with your doctor before you start your new eating regimen, though. If you get a green light, try to stick to the program as much as you can and the results will blow your mind!
Author Bio:
Diana Smith is a full time mom of two beautiful girls interested in topics related to home improvement, DIY and interior design. In her free time she enjoys reading and preparing healthy meals for her family.
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