The French neurologist and nutritionist Dr. Pierre Dukan developed a nutrition system which, according to experts, is one of the most effective diets, at least, in terms of the speed and the guarantee of the results. This diet has been proven to have helped the Duchess of Cambridge before her wedding and Jennifer Lopez after she had a baby.
Bright Side decided to find out what’s so good about this diet and why it’s considered one of the best diets for health and losing weight.
What the Dukan diet is 
The Dukan diet is a nutrition system and its goal is to make sure that you lose weight quickly and ensure the results into the future. The diet is based on 100 allowed foods, 72 of which are protein foods (meat, eggs, dairy products), and 28 are additional (spices, seasonings, and vegetables).
In order to lose weight quickly and evenly without any stretch marks or cellulite, the diet has rules and is split into 4 stages: 2 stages to lose weight and 2 stages to not gain it back.
Also, it’s important to follow the general principles.
General principles
- Drink at least 2 liters a day (tea, coffee, chicory are allowed).
- Don’t add mayonnaise in your food.
- Lower the amount of salt (but use more sauces and spices).
- Eat oat bran every day.
- Don’t forget about physical activity (walking and exercising).
Except for the general rules, the diet includes 4 stages, and every one of them has its own goal.
№ 1. Attack stage: immediate results
The point of the attack stage is that you should eat protein foods which stimulate the body to use its own reserves: the body will burn fats very quickly and the protein will help you keep the muscle and bone tissue intact.
At this stage, many people feel a little unwell: this is a signal that the body is using the fat reserve. That’s why the attack period is very limited.
Duration: depending on the amount of weight you want to lose, you can choose the duration of the first stage:
- less than 45 pounds of extra weight — 3 to 5 days;
- from 45 to 60 extra pounds — 5 to 7 days;
- more than 60 pounds — 5 to 10 days.
Here is the full list of 72 protein products. It includes almost all kinds of meat, fish, seafood, and all 0% fat dairy products.
These products should be eaten during the first stage. You should also east 1.5 tbsp. of oat bran and drink 1.5 liters of water every day.
№ 2. Rotation stage: achievement
The point of this stage. At this time, 28 vegetables are added to the 72 protein products (cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers and so on). The point of this stage is to not let the pounds you lost during the previous stage return.
Duration. Its duration depends on how much weight you lost during the first stage. 2 pounds during the attack stage = 10 days of rotation. For example, if you lost 6.5 pounds during the first stage, then the rotation stage should be 30 days.
Rotation options:
- 1 day of protein, and then 1 day of vegetables + protein.
- 3 days of protein, and then 3 days of vegetables + protein.
- 5 days of protein, and then 5 days of vegetables + protein.
Here is a list of 28 allowed vegetables. You can eat as many vegetables as you want and you can cook them any way you prefer. Also, you should eat 2 tbsp. of oat bran and drink 1.5 liters of water.
Also allowed: cheese (less than 6% fat), cacao (1 tsp.), ketchup, spices, bread (2 slices), and wine (50 gm.).
№ 3. Securing stage: avoiding gaining weight again
The point of this stage. During this stage, the current weight stabilizes and the person returns to a more diverse diet. So, you can include tasty foods: bread, fruit, cheese, candy.
Duration. The duration is calculated exactly as in stage 2: 2 pounds during the attack stage = 10 days of rotation.
The rules of stage 3:
- During a week, 1 day a week, you should eat only protein.
- Every day add 2.5 tbsp. of oat bran to the food.
- Drink at least 1.5 liter of water.
- It’s best to eat fruit every day (except for grapes, bananas, and cherries).
- Twice a week you can eat potatoes, corn, peas, beans, pasta, and other starch-containing foods.
- Twice a week you can eat anything you want. But this should be instead of breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
№ 4. Maintaining stage: for life
This is the last stage. It’s based on 4 simple rules which you should follow for you entire life in order not to gain back the lost pounds:
- 3 tbsp. of oat bran every day.
- At least 1.5 liters of water a day.
- Walk more.
- 1 day a week eat only protein.
These four rules will help you keep your weight stable, and you can eat anything you want during the other 6 days.
How to plan your diet
For your diet, you can choose which foods you like but make sure you follow the list of allowed proteins and vegetables at each stage.
Also, thanks to the huge variety of allowed foods for every stage, you can easily find a crazy number of different recipes for those who like cooking and for those who don’t want to eat the same food every day.
Conclusion
The Dukan diet is a great way to not just lose extra weight quickly, but also ensure the result for life. It’s also convenient that the diet has few limitations in terms of food and time. You can even drink alcohol, so you won’t be left out at a party with friends.
However, despite how effective the diet is (you can lose from 6 to 12 pounds a week), it’s not good for everyone, especially if a person has a chronic illness. Besides, the first stage of the diet is pretty hard on the body, so we recommend that you consult your doctor before you start it.
Do you know anything about other diets? Share what you know in the comment section below!
