When a woman has firmly decided to lose weight and starts searching the internet for the best diet that will give almost instant results, then it is hard to stop her. Especially after reading the praise for one method or another. Today we will find out what the Ducan diet is, how effective it is, debunk myths and get acquainted with the criticisms.
The Ducan diet: all the important nuances
The Dukan diet is based on the use of foods rich in protein and contributes to weight loss from one and a half to fifty kilograms. Tempting? Of course!
But how safe is it for health? Let's find out.
Identity of the author
French general practitioner Pierre Dukan, whose diet once excited millions of overweight people, has been developing it for twenty years.
In the mid-seventies of the last century, obesity was combated through a diet that included low-carbohydrate foods. Dukan, for his part, invented a new technique that consists of four stages - attack, alternation, consolidation and stabilization - that allow not only to lose weight, but also to keep the weight in a constant state.
Since then, Ducan has devoted himself to the study of protein-rich foods and their effects on the human body. Twenty years later, he wrote the book I Can't Lose Weight, which has sold more than ten million worldwide. From that moment began the best hour of the former neurologist.
After opinion polls carried out, it was found that 35% of people who lost weight according to the Ducan method regained the kilos lost in one year. 80% regained their previous weight in four years.
Basic principles
- Approved products.To lose weight it is allowed to eat foods rich in animal and vegetable proteins, which are easily absorbed by the body and contribute to weight loss.
- Movement.Physical activity is essential: morning exercises, a gym, or at least walking on rough terrain. Or you can clean the apartment every day by moving vigorously with a floor cloth. Here, as they say, everyone chooses how to increase their activity: fitness or weeding in the garden.
- Water!Don't forget to drink one and a half to two liters of clean water a day.
- Bran.They are essential as a source of fiber, which contributes to proper digestive processes.
- Calculator.Before starting a diet, you must calculate your Dukan weight to know how many days you should dedicate to one stage or another.
Doctors opinion on diet
If you completely exclude carbohydrates from the diet or significantly reduce their amount, the body will want to or not, but it will begin to take in the missing energy, breaking down fat. But first it will consume all the glycogen stores stored in the liver and only then will it reach the fat stores on the sides and hips.
Glycogen is an energy reserve, thanks to which the body can quickly replenish the lack of glucose. Its amount in the liver in an adult is 100 to 120 g.
If you empty your glycogen stores, ketosis begins: the breakdown of fat with the formation of a large number of ketone cells (acetone). A high concentration of glucose and acetone bodies in the blood can lead to an acid-base imbalance leading to an increase in acid. Long-term disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism ultimately leads to diabetic ketoacidotic coma.
Those interested in the Ducan diet should know that a positive result without compromising health will only be if the pancreas can produce enough insulin, which reduces the concentration of glucose in the blood.
Low carbohydrate diets are especially dangerous for people with metabolic disorders, and they may not even know it, as these disorders do not manifest themselves with the usual diet. As a result, acidosis can develop, manifested by frequent headaches, chronic fatigue, arrhythmias or palpitations, constant drowsiness and weakness.
Stage 1. Attack
This is the hardest and most difficult period. Normally not longer than seven days, the Ducan calculator will show you a more accurate figure.
Rules
At this time, you should completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet and increase the use of protein products. The body is saturated with protein, rebuilds metabolism, and rapidly destroys body fat.
Start each morning with a tablespoon of oat bran. During the day, you can eat any food on the allowed list and in unlimited quantities. They must be baked, boiled or steamed. Don't forget about water, since most drinks are prohibited, it is almost the only source of liquid.
The body begins to rebuild, so you should not fully participate in sports, it is better to limit yourself to walking or simple gymnastics.
Estimated weight loss - 2-5 kg.
Reviews
The "Attack" stage actually allows you to reduce weight by a certain number of kilograms (this indicator is individual for everyone), but this does not happen from burning fat, but from dehydration. But losing weight sees the values shift on the scale, is encouraged and continues to exacerbate the imbalance in nutrition.
The body is affected by the almost complete elimination of carbohydrates from the body. The person begins to feel weak, fatigued, irritable. At this time, it is best for his family and colleagues to stay away from him; mood swings can ruin the emotional background of the family and team for a long time.
The Chinese with great imagination approached the choice of execution of criminals. The villains were punished sophisticated enough to suffer as long as possible before dying. The condemned were fed only meat for a long time, after which the unfortunate died in severe pain due to decomposition processes in the intestines and poisoning of the body with toxins.
Carbohydrates are essential for humans to properly break down proteins and fats. If they do not enter the body, then a mandatory imbalance, metabolic disorders and intoxication await you.
During the "Attack", excess protein rapidly begins to excrete water, significantly increasing kidney load. Furthermore, an intelligent organism tries to defend itself and tries by all means to retain the precious liquid in itself. As a result, when changing stages and introducing more benign dietary conditions, many begin to notice edema even after eating a tomato.
One gram of carbohydrate retains 4 ml of fluid, and after carbohydrate starvation, this figure increases significantly. If a breakdown occurs, and it is unavoidable due to the decrease and imbalance of energy, it is unlikely that you will eat common buckwheat; You will be drawn to sweet and starchy foods. And given the increasing water retention, the figure on the scale will definitely not be to your liking.
Allowed Products
This step includes 72 protein-rich foods, which you can find on sites promoting this diet. Among them, lean meats, poultry, fish and shellfish, milk and its derivatives with low fat content, eggs. True, during the day you can only eat two whole eggs with yolk and protein, and if the yolk is excluded, then the restrictions are removed - eat all you want.
You will definitely have to say goodbye to:
- coffee and tea;
- salt, mustard and spices;
- vinegar;
- all kinds of vegetables: no herbs, vegetables, fruits, and in general, a complete ban on plant foods;
- oils and fats, both of vegetable and animal origin;
- alcohol and most drinks.
You can only eat protein foods!
Weekly menu
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Monday | Chicken eggs baked with milk. | Chicken soup. Boiled chicken meat. | Curd casserole. |
| Tuesday | Steamed cheesecakes. | Lean meat soup, boiled egg. | Baked meat. |
| Wednesday | Bran pancakes. | Meatball soup. | Boiled chicken breast. |
| Thursday | Steamed or boiled fish. | Lean chicken soup.
Boiled liver, kefir. |
Chicken cutlets, skim milk. |
| Friday | Hard boiled eggs, chicken nuggets, breaded with oat bran. | Salmon ear. Boiled chicken fillet. | Seafood cocktail. |
| Saturday | Shrimp omelette. | Beef steaks. | Baked mackerel, kefir. |
| Sunday | Grilled chicken breast. | Chicken broth with hard-boiled eggs. | Cottage cheese, skim milk or kefir. |
Ducan diet recipes for the attack phase
In order not to reinvent the wheel and not invent what to cook, you can use recipes prepared according to Dukan.
Chopped lean chops
You can have absolutely any lean meat: chicken, turkey, rabbit or beef. It is finely chopped or passed through a meat grinder, a raw egg is added, then it is beaten well and flat cakes are formed.
Each flatbread is dipped in an egg and breaded with oat bran. Prepare the chops on the grill, in a slow cooker in "Bake" mode, or fried in a non-oil non-stick skillet.
Chicken soup
Everything is simple here. The chicken breast is boiled until tender, cut into small pieces or ground with a blender and placed back in the boiling broth. Beat a couple of eggs with a fork and pour a thin stream into the broth. After a few minutes, the protein soup is ready.
Stage 2. Alternation or "cruise"
This is the most important stage in Dukan's method of losing weight. In the second stage, the desired indulgence begins. What is it?
Rules
28 more are added to the 72 previously allowed products, mainly vegetables. The duration of the period depends on the expected weight loss: one week is allocated for one kilogram.
During this period, there is an alternation of protein and protein-vegetable days. The body is already somewhat used to "bullying" and nutritional inaccuracies, so weight loss will not be as active.
If you need to get rid of five kilograms, then the toggle mode will be on one: protein day, protein-vegetable day. From 5 to 10 kg - 2/2 or 3/3 scheme. And more than ten kilograms - 5/5.
And if in the first phase it was possible to eat an unlimited amount of protein products, here the vegetable portions are regulated.
Statistics say that at this stage, the average person loses no more than 400-500g of weight per week. This means that the diet is far from being as quick and effective as the stakeholders "tout" it.
Reviews
So what do we have at this stage? Not 72 products, but 100! It's just a tummy feast!
The weight loss period is quite long, you need to adhere to a special program: alternate protein and protein-vegetable days until the weight reaches the desired figure. If you need to lose a dozen kilograms, it is possible that in three months you will not reach the grave. But it is scary to think what kind of harm those who need to get rid of 30-40-50 kg do themselves!
Allowed Products
Raw, boiled, baked or steamed vegetables are allowed during this period.You can diversify your diet with a little dry wine (no more than 100g), low-fat cheese, mustard, low-fat lactic acid products and also:
- tomatoes and cucumbers;
- carrots;
- cabbage;
- beet;
- green beans;
- zucchini;
- fungi;
- radishes;
- eggplants;
- asparagus;
- hot red pepper.
But don't forget that frying or adding oil is strictly prohibited. And no one canceled the mandatory bran, at this stage your daily intake is increased to two tablespoons.
The following foods are prohibited:
- starchy: potatoes, avocados, legumes, artichokes, corn;
- any cereal;
- industrial sauces: mayonnaise, ketchup and others;
- desserts and cakes;
- fat.
Weekly menu
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Monday | An omelet made with chicken eggs and skim milk.
Fresh grated carrots. |
Vegetable soup.
Beef steak. |
Baked meat.
Fresh vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs. |
| Tuesday | Hard boiled eggs.
Fresh vegetables. |
Mushroom soup.
Vegetable stew with pieces of chicken breast. |
Baked mackerel marinated with mustard. |
| Wednesday | Curd.
Cooked egg. Low fat kefir or milk. |
Vegetable soup and meatballs.
Steamed fish cakes with herbs. |
Chicken breast. |
| Thursday | Chicken cutlets.
Fresh vegetables. |
Chicken broth with egg and herbs.
Boiled lean meat. |
Cheesecakes or curd casserole. |
| Friday | Low fat yogurt.
Omelette with vegetables. |
Chowder.
Boiled salmon. |
Grilled chicken breast with vegetables.
Kefir. |
| Saturday | Cucumber and tomato salad.
Fried eggs. |
Cauliflower or broccoli puree soup.
Turkey cutlets. |
Zucchini pancakes.
Baked fish. |
| Sunday | Curd casserole.
Low fat milk. |
Thick vegetable puree soup.
Steamed cutlets with vegetables. |
Hake fillet stewed in milk. |
Ducan diet recipes for the alternate stage
At this stage, the culinary possibilities are significantly expanded and Ducan's recipes are more numerous and varied.
Curd and zucchini snack with chicken
The chicken fillet is finely chopped or passed through a meat grinder. Spices, onions, and garlic are added to the minced meat.
The zucchini are cut into circles, the middle cut to create a depression in which the minced meat, tomato ring, cottage cheese are placed and sprinkled with black pepper.
The appetizer is baked in the oven for half an hour.
Stuffed mushrooms
- The legs of the large mushrooms are carefully separated, finely chopped and cooked in their own juice until tender.
- The chicken fillet is boiled, minced and combined with stewed mushrooms.
- The resulting dough is filled with low-fat plain yogurt and placed in mushroom caps.
- The stuffed mushrooms are baked in a well-heated oven for 40 minutes at 180 ° C.
- Before serving, the mushrooms are garnished with finely chopped herbs.
Stage No. 3. Consolidation or consolidation
It is necessary to save the lost weight. This is what the third phase of the diet addresses.
Rules
- A number of other products are added to the diet, it is allowed to organize a "belly party" with high-calorie dishes twice a week. The serving size should not exceed 220 g.
- At least once a week, you will have to eat foods with pure protein. This day is called "protein Thursday" by dieters, but you can choose any other day of the week, but it is desirable that it occurs after the excesses "holidays".
- Mandatory bran should be consumed daily for 2, 5 tablespoons. And don't forget to drink clean water, at least a liter and a half a day.
The scenario is designed for a fairly long period: for every ten days 1 kg is lost during the alternation phase. If in the second stage you lost 15 kg, the third stage will last 150 days.
Reviews
If you are still alive and relatively healthy after the first two stages, we will continue to explore our fascinating quest "How to spoil your health in search of an ideal figure, and at the same time make fun of your loved ones".
The theory says that the body will try to regain the lost pounds by any means. You yearn for this passionately, you therefore try to resist it no less passionately.
Well what can I say, the body is exhausted, dehydrated, deprived of many useful substances. And now they give you 100 grams of whole wheat bread a day, a small serving of fruit, and a "feast" of a single complex carbohydrate intake per week, after which you have to organize a pure protein fast.
It is at this stage, when tasty food is allowed, that the weight can begin to "jump" like a child's yo-yo toy. The feeling of hunger is drastically aggravated, clasping hands are attracted to eat forbidden foods or to extend the "vacation".
Nail, skin, and hair problems start to bother me again. Losing weight feels weak, weak, drowsy, chills often occur. In general, once again everything is wrong.
Allowed Products
At this stage, you can enter the diet:
- fruits, except bananas and grapes (no more than 100 g per day);
- whole wheat bread (literally two slices);
- low-fat cheese;
- Starchy vegetables: legumes, rice, potatoes and corn
- durum wheat pasta;
- a little honey;
- spices.
Of course, the products of the first two phases are preserved.
Weekly menu
| Day of the week | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Monday | Curd casserole.
Tea. |
Red fish ear.
A slice of whole wheat bread. Fruit. |
Baked chicken fillet with vegetables.
Kefir. |
| Tuesday | Oatmeal with milk.
Cooked egg. |
Vegetable soup.
Pasta. Boiled beef. |
Fish cakes.
Fresh vegetable salad. Curd mousse with pieces of fruit. |
| Wednesday | Omelette with mushrooms and cheese. | Green bean soup.
Baked fish. |
Beef stew with vegetables.
Sponge cake with red berries. |
| Thursday (protein day) | Curd.
Hard boiled eggs. |
Chicken broth.
Boiled fish. |
Meat, chicken, or seafood. |
| Friday | Cheesecakes or curd casserole. | Borsch.
Chicken cutlets. |
Mashed potatoes.
Fresh vegetable salad. |
| Saturday | Buckwheat milk porridge. | Mushroom soup with meatballs.
A slice of whole wheat bread. Vegetable risotto. |
Vegetable stew.
Steamed cutlets. |
| Sunday | Fried eggs.
Cheese. Coffee. |
Sorrel soup with hard-boiled eggs.
Boiled chicken. Fruit. |
Vegetable salad.
Seafood cocktail. Compote of dried fruits. |
Ducan Recipes
Salad with slightly salted salmon
Ingredients:
- salmon - 150 g;
- lettuce leaves;
- cherry tomatoes - 5-7 pieces. ;
- green apple - 1 pc. ;
- fresh cucumbers - 2 pieces;
- feta cheese - 140 g;
- lemon juice - 3 tablespoons;
- sugar - 2 tsp;
- wine vinegar - 1 tsp;
- red pepper - to taste;
- olive oil;
- chopped cilantro or parsley.
All components of the salad are arbitrarily sliced, mixed and seasoned with lemon juice. Such a salad can be prepared for a festive table, and your guests will not even suspect that they are eating a Ducan dish.
Creamy salmon soup
Ingredients:
- salmon fillet - 300 g;
- onions - 2-3 heads;
- low-fat cream - 100 ml;
- potatoes - 2-3 pieces. ;
- medium carrots - 1 pc. ;
- vegetables, spices - to taste;
- vegetable oil for frying.
First, you need to boil the broth of the red fish fillet and a whole onion. The rest of the onion is finely chopped and fried together with the grated carrots.
The potatoes are peeled and diced or sliced in the usual way. A fish is removed from the broth and mashed.
Vegetables, fish and spices are sent to the boiling broth for 20-30 minutes. After the potatoes are cooked, you can add cream.
Finely chopped vegetables are poured onto a plate before serving.
Stage 4. Stabilization
And finally, at this stage, you can eat whatever your heart desires, if you follow the mandatory rules.
Rules
- Eat only protein foods once a week.
- The daily portion of bran is not canceled, now they must be consumed in three tablespoons.
- The water consumption should remain unchanged, at least one and a half liters per day.
- The diet should be as balanced as possible. For this, it is recommended to consume a slice of cheese, two starchy vegetables, a couple of slices of whole wheat bread, vegetables, protein products and fruit for dessert every day.
- The size of the meal should be moderate, more often than large.
- Fatty fish should be substituted for other shellfish.
- Mandatory physical activity must be maintained. Make it a rule to climb stairs, avoiding elevators.
- Try to avoid stress.
You must follow these guidelines for life if you do not want to gain weight again.
Reviews
As soon as the desired results are achieved, most of the weight-losers blurt out and indulge in "all wrong". They go back to their old diet and start EATING!
Now think about, why did you need this torment, if in the same year you could lose weight simply by eliminating fast carbs, hot dogs, fried foods, and pickles from your diet? At the same time, there would be no need to limit yourself to a hundred products and deprive the body of much-needed complex carbohydrates.
Contraindications
The Dukan diet is strictly prohibited for people suffering from:
- kidney disease and kidney failure;
- cholecystitis;
- problems with pressure;
- disorders of the cardiovascular system;
- stomach ulcer;
- intestinal dyskinesia;
- atherosclerosis;
- gallbladder stones.
Don't experiment on yourself for expectant mothers and nursing mothers, although Dukan has developed a special method for pregnant women. Refrain from this "treatment" of obesity in children, adolescents and the elderly.
Pros and cons of the Dukan diet
If you believe in the creator of the diet, the advantages of the weight loss method are as follows.
- For a long time, the weight will remain unchanged after losing weight to the desired values.
- The diet is absolutely safe and very effective.
- You can eat allowed foods in any quantity and whenever you want. And considering that there are more than a hundred, you can always diversify your menu with delicious dishes.
- The result is visible from the first days.
Apparently, eat as much as you want, when you want, and lose weight! History! But if you take off your pink glasses and dig deeper, a stark reality appears in front of us in all its glory. Namely.
- Fats are almost completely excluded from the diet, and this is fraught with a deterioration of the skin condition and many diseases: atherosclerosis develops, cholesterol metabolism is disturbed, the reproductive system is inhibited, the general mental state worsens, since the nervous system does not work properly.
- The diet is unbalanced, which means that the body receives fewer nutrients and elements.
- Any restriction and rejection of certain products leads to a "shock" for the body, due to which a person begins to feel weak, fatigue, his performance decreases.
- According to the diet, it is necessary to eat oat bran every day and it is not sold in every corner.
Conclusion
Each person is a smith of her own happiness and also decides how to handle her body. He can take care of himself both while lying on the couch and playing sports in the gym. Or subjecting it to extreme stress in the form of popular, but rather sophisticated, diets like the Ducan method.
We in no way limit his freedom and do not try to discourage him from making decisions. Just love yourself, don't put irreparable experiments on the body and stay healthy!