The Dukan diet is a weight loss method developed by Frenchman Pierre Dukan, who has 30 years of experience in nutrition. The diet involves a sequential alternation of several phases: attack, alternation, consolidation and stabilization. The total duration is several months. It is not difficult to adhere to the nutritional system - the menu for every day is varied, which means that the body is not exposed to stress. Therefore, it is not surprising that the diet is popular and deserves mostly positive reviews from those who want to lose weight with its help.
What is the essence of the Pierre Dukan diet?
The essence of the diet is not just to reduce body weight, but to maintain the achieved result. The Dukan diet is about reducing the amount of carbohydrates consumed while significantly increasing protein intake. There are no restrictions on the amount of food.
How to calculate your weight – formula and weight calculator
You can use the body mass index developed by the WHO to determine whether you are overweight. A missing BMI is an indication of potential problems. Muscle and bone mass is not taken into account in the calculation.
The classic formula looks like this:
Weight in kg divided by height in square meters
The concept of the Dukan system is the right weight. Weight, height and their fluctuations over time are important in the calculation.
What is the correct weight? This is a goal that a person can achieve without harming his health or getting into the discomfort zone. And your body weight can also be easily maintained without much effort.The Dukan method takes into account its history, as well as various parameters of a particular plan:
- Floor;
- Age;
- minimum and maximum mass;
- desired mass indicator;
- heredity;
- number of pregnancies;
- Bone structure.
You can also use the weight calculator.
It is important to calculate the correct weight before starting a diet. Otherwise, it will not be possible to create an individual program that contains all the information about how long each phase of the Dukan method should last and how many kilograms a person can lose during the diet.
Phases of the Dukan system
The diet includes four phases. Everyone has their own characteristics. The first diet is described by the author of the diet as organized and thorough. In the second phase of the diet, a person achieves the correct weight, and in the third he consolidates the result. The fourth stage of the Dukan system is mass stabilization and successful completion of the diet.
"Attack"
The main goal of this phase of the Dukan system is to start the process when fat is broken down.Losing as many pounds as possible should not be on the agenda in this phase of the diet. It is important to remember that the duration of the stage is no more than 10 days.
Due to the fact that "Attack" requires giving up foods containing glucose, your health begins to deteriorate. Headaches and dizziness appear. The person becomes irritable and lethargic. The body, which does not have enough glucose to maintain its function, begins to actively use up fat reserves - hence the smell of acetone, which is noticed by all adherents of the diet. These symptoms disappear within 1-3 days. This time is better spent at home.
For the "attack" phase, walks in the fresh air are important - at least half an hour. This means that fat loss occurs more actively and the body quickly gets used to the changes. If your health permits, light physical activity is allowed. For example, a swimming pool, light gymnastics.
Make sure to drink plenty of water – water, fruit teas without sugar. The liquid helps to remove the consequences of fat loss from the body. This rule applies to every phase of the diet.
In general, the diet menu is based on 72 protein products. Their use preserves muscle tissue and bone strength. Energy is generated exclusively from existing fat deposits.
We recommend using lemon juice, mustard and tomato paste to season dishes. All dishes are steamed. It is also acceptable to bake or boil it. There should be a minimum of salt.
In the first phase of the Dukan diet, meals should be in portions. It is better to eat small portions, but often. This allows the body to better cope with dietary changes.
"Alternating" or "Cruising"
The weight loss process that began in the previous phase continues. The pace is set by alternating protein-only days with periods of introducing vegetables. In addition to the 72 protein products previously permitted, 28 types of vegetables are added. The body compensates for the lack of carbohydrates by breaking down fats.
Regulate:
- Alternating protein-vegetable and protein days. The regimen is created individually, but Dukan recommends the following algorithm: eat proteins for several days, and then introduce vegetables for the same period.
- The amount of oat bran consumed daily is 2 tablespoons. If you have constipation, you should add 1 tbsp. l. Wheat bran.
- Liquid – 2 liters.
- The daily amount of dairy products is a maximum of 1 kg.
- Daily half-hour walks are recommended.
- Small and frequent meals – at least five times.
"Pinning" or "Consolidation"
As soon as the desired weight is reached, the person losing weight is faced with the task of maintaining the result. This is harder than losing weight. The goal of "consolidation" is to help a person transition from a diet to a nutritional system without getting into the discomfort zone.
How long does the third phase of the Dukan system last? The main rule is that every kilogram lost corresponds to ten days of "consolidation". Those who were overweight stay in the phase the longest. If you look at the rule without emotions, it becomes clear that it helps teach the body to work in a new wayand way to live.
General rules for this phase of the Dukan diet:
- Amount of bran – 2. 5 tbsp. l;
- half-hour walks;
- Starchy foods can be included in the diet no more than once every seven days;
- One day of the week should be dedicated exclusively to eating protein foods. This rule should be followed after leaving the diet. The safety day, as Dukan himself calls it, can be set for Thursday, for example.
Holiday meal rules:
- the optimal time is lunch;
- You cannot take any dietary supplement.
- do not introduce excessively high-calorie foods;
- A glass of wine (dry) with cheese is allowed;
- It is forbidden to hold two festivals in a row.
Important NOTE:To make it easier to maintain the achieved result of the diet, it is recommended to halve the duration of the third phase. The first part is a feast, no more than one serving of saturated starch weekly. In the second case, according to the Dukan system, everything is doubled.
"Stabilization"
The phase is intended to consolidate what was started in the third phase of the Dukan diet - the formation of the habit of eating right. From this his basic rules are formed:
- Use at least 3 tbsp. l. Bran;
- protein fasting day every week;
- drinking regime;
- physical activity.
When it comes to nutrition, you should stick to the rules of the "consolidation phase".
Which products are allowed by the Dukan system - a general list with a table and recommendations for each level
The effectiveness and attractiveness of the Dukan diet is that weight loss occurs without causing a person to feel dissatisfied. 100 products are permitted for consumption - 72 of which are of animal origin and another 28 of plant origin. Their introduction and quantity is determined by the rules of each phase of the Dukan diet.
| Animal origin | Vegetable origin | |
|---|---|---|
| lean meat | Beef, any game, rabbit, lean pork, veal | Non-starchy vegetables |
| poultry meat | no limits | |
| Fish | low-fat varieties | |
| seafood | no limits | |
| vegetable proteins | Oat bran, soy cheese | |
| Dairy products | with 0% fat content | |
| chicken eggs |
| The name of the product | Diet phase | Benefit and quantity | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Attack" | "change" | "Pin" | "Stabilization" | ||
| Shirataki noodles | + | + | + | + | usable without restrictions; contains natural fiber, which is essential for normalizing intestinal function |
| Vegetable fat | – | + | + | + | From the "Attack" level onwards, consumption increases from 1 teaspoon to 1 tbsp. l. |
| Goji berries | + | + | + | + | in b. d.*- 1 TBSP. l. , r. -O*. - 2 TBSP. l. |
| Chia seeds | – | + | + | + | 1 TBSP. l. ; Keep cholesterol, a natural antioxidant, at the permissible level |
| linseed | – | + | + | + | in b. d. – 1 tsp, in the bottle – 2 tsp. |
| Not over. – protein days; b. -O. – Protein and vegetables |
In the fourth stage of the diet additionally:
- corn starch;
- Sour cream;
- low-fat cocoa without sugar;
- wine (white table);
- Cheese up to 7% fat.
Diet duration
The Dukan diet determines the duration of each phase depending on the amount of excess weight. For convenience, the following table has been created:
| Amount of overweight (kg) | Stage 1 (days) | Stage 2 (days) | Stage 3 (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2 | 15 | 50 |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 100 |
| 15 | 4 | 85 | 150 |
| 20 | 5 | 120 | 200 |
| 25 | 7 | 155 | 250 |
| thirty | 7 | 160 | 300 |
| 40 | 9 | 190 | 400 |
| 50 | 10 | 330 | 500 |
The fourth phase is not mentioned in the table for one reason: it is lifestyle. Diet becomes the nutritional system for every day.
Diet menu for every day of the week
The Dukan system involves eating a variety of foods so that the diet does not seem monotonous. Even in the first phase, in which you have to eat very conservatively. For convenience, an example menu is presented in tabular form:
| weekday | Eat | Diet phase | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Attack" | "change" | "Pin" | ||
| Monday | Breakfast | Coffee+fried egg+piece of meat | Fried eggs+bran bread+coffee | Tea + casserole (from cottage cheese) |
| Dinner | Fish soup + bread (bran) | Vegetable soup + meat | Ukha+Bread (whole grain, oat bran) | |
| Afternoon tea | Cottage cheese casserole | the same + tea | fruit | |
| Dinner | Piece of baked meat + tea | the same (without tea) + salad | Potatoes+vegetables (baked)+piece of meat | |
| Tuesday | Breakfast | Pancakes (bran)+cottage cheese+tea | Cottage cheese + kefir | Coffee+cheesecake |
| Dinner | Soup + piece of meat + eggs (boiled) | Ear | Solyanka+bran bread | |
| Afternoon tea | yogurt | Coffee+bread+fish | Berry | |
| Dinner | Fish (steamed) | Yoghurt + rolls (meat) | Salad + meatballs (chicken) | |
| Wednesday | Breakfast | Omelette + salmon (lightly salted) + coffee | Coffee+cottage cheese+yoghurt | Tea+casserole (from cottage cheese)+berries |
| Dinner | Schnitzel (chicken) + yogurt | Soljanka | Ear | |
| Afternoon tea | Cottage cheese + kefir | Pancakes (from bran flour) + kefir | fruit | |
| Dinner | seafood | Salad + schnitzel (chicken) | Kefir + piece of meat (baked) | |
| Thursday | Breakfast | Bread (bran) + cheese (processed) + coffee | Coffee+omelette+piece of ham | Menu for every day from the "Attack" period |
| Dinner | Soup | Meatball soup + bran | ||
| Afternoon tea | Cottage cheese casserole + tea | Syrniki | ||
| Dinner | Piece of meat (baked) + kefir | Kefir + piece of fish (baked) | ||
| Friday | Breakfast | Eggs (boiled) + yogurt + kefir | Eggs (boiled) + salmon (lightly salted) + kefir | Fried eggs+yogurt+coffee |
| Dinner | Fish cutlets | Salad + schnitzel (turkey) | Salad + meatballs (veal) | |
| Afternoon tea | Cottage cheese+milk | Kefir+bran | Berry | |
| Dinner | Piece of turkey (fillet)+cheese (processed)+tea | Piece of fish + vegetables (bake with melted cheese) + tea | Vegetable stew + piece of fish (baked) | |
| Saturday | Breakfast | Coffee+omelette | Casserole (from cottage cheese) + tea | see Monday menu for the "Variety" stage. |
| Dinner | Meatball soup | Ukha + bread (bran) | Cottage cheese + solyanka | |
| Afternoon tea | Kefir+bran | Coffee+all seafood | fruit | |
| Dinner | all seafood + tea | Piece of meat (baked) | Rice+piece of meat (baked)+salad | |
| Sunday | Breakfast | Casserole (from cottage cheese) + tea | Coffee+yogurt+omelette | Eggs (boiled) + coffee + salmon (lightly salted) + bread |
| Dinner | Ukha+bread (bran) | Salad + meatballs (veal) | Salad + schnitzel (turkey) | |
| Afternoon tea | Cheesecake + yogurt | Cheesecake+tea | fruit | |
| Dinner | Schnitzel + kefir | Vegetable stew + chicken | Fish+vegetables |
There is no fourth step in the table - "stabilization" - due to the lack of strict regulations. According to Dr. Dukan's recommendations, you can choose any dish from the three previous steps.
A little about the results of losing weight
The Dukan diet focuses on the characteristics of a specific person. Therefore, the results are purely individual.
On average, weight loss is 20 kg. In addition, 80% of people will return to their previous level in the next four years.
About the disadvantages and contraindications of the Dukan method
Pierre Dukan was not afraid to say that the diet he proposed was suitable only for healthy people. Due to its use, according to Dr. Dukan problems with the respiratory system, digestive system and genitourinary system occur. Not to mention apathy and weakness.
Nutritionists point out other negative aspects:
- Exclusive consumption of protein foods and intensive consumption of internal fat reserves can lead to ketosis, a condition associated with kidney failure.
- lack of minerals, vitamins;
- Lack of fat can lead to menstrual irregularities;
- increased cholesterol levels.
Due to the deficiencies, the main contraindication to the diet is formed - a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.
Reviews of the Dukan diet
The Dukan diet is receiving more and more reviews. Most who have tried the diet claim that the system is valid and easy to use. Here are some examples.
- "I managed to lose up to 17 kg in 7 months. I liked everything, the bran seemed particularly tasty. I added them to eggs and cottage cheese. I went through all the stages, now I can't imagine life without the Dukan diet. "
- "I learned about this diet three years ago. Managed to lose 25kg in just 8 months. The result continues to this day. At first it was very difficult, but then I got used to it. "
- "All results are individual. I am extremely dissatisfied with the diet. I just wanted to get my weight back in order after two pregnancies. And I gained over 20 kg and had problems with my kidneys and veins. "
- "Because of the stress, my weight started increasing. A friend recommended the Dukan diet. I even bought the book. I did everything as it was written there. In the early stages, the numbers on the scales were encouraging. But soon the joy gave way to disappointment - stomach pains began, shortness of breath and weakness appeared. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with gastritis. It's happened before, but the diet just provoked it. But I lost weight – thanks to nutritional therapy. "
As you can see from the reviews, the results are very individual. In addition, you should not start a diet without consulting your doctor. It is important to weigh all the pros and cons and only then make a final decision.
Lightning Tips
The correct weight is not synonymous with the accepted meaning of the expression "true weight". Due to its individual character, it represents the profile of a person.
The Dukan diet has several simple rules:
- mandatory colon cleansing;
- daily consumption of oat bran and at least 1. 5 liters of water;
- regular physical activity;
- no mayonnaise;
- It is better to avoid sugar and fruits with a high sugar content: grapes, cherries, figs, bananas as well as fried potatoes, alcohol.
To maintain the results achieved with the Dukan system throughout your life, you should do a protein day once a week.