Dukan Diet Reviewed

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Over the last few years, since having children, I have gradually put on more and more weight and reaching the heaviest I had ever been, I decided my new years resolution was to lose weight and get down to my goal weight once and for all.

I didn’t have any set plan on how I was going to lose that weight until I read an article in the local newspaper on the Dukan Diet and decided to give it a go.  Although at first I thought it looked like it would be difficult, I was quite surprised to find that it wasn’t difficult at all.

Currently I am now just 500g away from my goal weight and so here is my own personal Dukan Diet Review.

How The Dukan Diet Works

This diet was created by French doctor Dr Pierre Dukan. It is a high protein weight loss diet and in the first stage, the attack phase, is protein only. Eating protein only can help to lose weight fast as protein produces ketonic cells which are a natural appetite suppressant.  This is why this diet has a big focus on protein only stages to help reduce weight successfully.

The diet consists of four different phases that each play a part in helping to lose weight and then maintain that weight.

Attack Phase

The attack phase is strictly protein only and as such you lose weight fast during this phase.  This phase will last between one and ten days depending on how much weight you need to lose overall.

You will see immediate weight loss results during this phase which gives a great kick start to your weight loss journey.  However, because this is a protein only phase and you aren’t eating other necessary vitamins, it is very important that you don’t stay on this phase longer than the recommended time.

When you eat protein only, your tissues are purged of excess water, plus your appetite will be reduced, so your body will lose weight fast during this time.

Cruise Phase

The second phase is the Cruise Phase and now you can introduce vegetables into your diet and can eat as many as you like on alternate days.  During this phase you alternate days between one day of protein only and then one day of protein plus vegetables.  You can choose to alternate two days protein then two days protein plus vegetables if you prefer.

During this phase you should continue to lose around one kilogram or two pounds a week and you will continue with this phase until you reach your goal weight.

Consolidation Phase

The third phase is the Consolidation Phase and you can now add bread, fruit, cheese, potatoes and pasta into your diet but there are limits to how much of these you can eat.

You have reached your goal weight so this phase is not for losing anymore weight but rather to stabilize your weight so that you don’t put the weight back on.  This is a very important phase that most other diets don’t have, which is why too often many people just put their weight back on again fairly quickly.

With the consolidation phase you need to complete five days for every 0.5kg that you lost for your body to consolidate the weight loss.  At the end of the consolidation phase your body will have adjusted to your new diet and metabolism and you should be able to keep the weight off.

During the first half of the consolidation phrase you are encouraged to eat one meal a week of your choice and this can consist of absolutely anything.  Then during the second half of the consolidation phase you can eat two meals a week of your choice.

Stabilisation Phase

This is the final phase and once you have reached this phase you can eat whatever you want.  However, it is wise to stick to the basic rules of the consolidation phase (eat unlimited protein and vegetables, two slices of wholemeal bread a day, one piece of fruit a day, some cheese, two starchy foods (e.g. pasta, rice or potato) and two celebration meals a week).

Choose one day a week where you eat protein only for that full day.  This one day of protein only plays a big role in keeping your weight off so it is very important.

Exercise During The Dukan Diet

It is recommended to walk briskly for 20 minutes a day which is increase to 30 minutes a day during the cruise phase.  If you already participate in any other exercise program then you could continue with that if it will burn as many calories as the walking.  Walking is just a suggestion, other exercise routines or sports will also be effective if done daily.  You could also vary your routine and have some days walking and other days doing something different.

You do need to continue with the exercise routine even when you reach the stabilisation phase.

Drinking Water

It is important to drink a lot of water with the Dukan diet, you should drink at least 1.5 litres of water every day.  When exercises then you should increase that amount.

Conclusion

This is the first diet for me that has actually worked and that was reasonably easy to stick to.  There is such a variety of foods that you can eat and the Dukan Diet really teaches you how to eat healthier.  This is more of a lifestyle change and so you do need to have the right attitude going into this diet, but it certainly is a diet that can help anyone to reach their goal weight if they really want to.

This isn’t just a fad diet, this diet really does work, as I can happily say that I can now wear my ’skinny’ jeans and they are actually a little bit big for me now

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