This diet was developed over 30 years ago by the French physician Pierre Dukan.
It is based on a low-carbohydrate protein diet. Due to their absence, the body has to rebuild and receive energy from its own fat reserves. Thanks to the protein in the diet, satiety occurs faster, and the feeling of hunger is less acute. The Dukan diet lasts several months. To get started, you need to calculate your "correct" weight using a special calculator. It depends on age, height and body characteristics. In total, Pierre Ducant's diet allows for 100 foods and is divided into four stages:
- attack;
- alternation;
- fixing;
- stabilization.
The initial two phases of the Ducan diet help you lose weight, and the last two - to consolidate the result. Moreover, in the first week, you can lose 2-3 kilograms due to dehydration.
The attack involves eating only protein foods. The phase lasts, as a rule, from two to seven days. Meat, poultry, seafood, low-fat dairy products and eggs are allowed in the diet. Also, 1. 5 tablespoons of oat bran is necessarily added to the menu. For maximum results, it is necessary to exercise and drink 1. 5 liters of water daily.
The alternation can last from a month to a year. At this stage, the menu of the first phase is combined with 28 types of vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, asparagus, celery, broccoli and so on. You can use olive oil for salad dressing. Workouts should last 30 minutes a day.
The bracing is designed to avoid excess weight gain in the future. The diet includes fruits, breads, cheese and foods high in starch. Despite this, one day a week you need to eat according to the attack pattern. From time to time it is allowed to arrange holidays and eat high-calorie meals.
The stabilization phase is aimed at maintaining weight and does not imply strict restrictions, however there are some rules to follow. Once a week, you need to arrange a protein day, it is advisable to save the menu from the third stage. Also in the diet should be present oat bran, and physical activity should be allocated 20-30 minutes daily. The basic rules of the Ducan diet for all stages:
- refusal of the elevator;
- drinking plenty of fluids;
- eating bran;
- playing sports;
- sugar substitutes can be used.
Pros of the Ducan diet
The method became famous all over the world for its rapid weight loss. In addition, unlike many other diets, it has a fairly varied menu. In the first two weeks, you do not need to count calories, as well as limit yourself in food and the time of its intake. The pluses include daily physical activity - walking, fitness, swimming and more. The Ducan protein diet is suitable for those who do not like strict weight loss techniques.
Cons of the Ducan diet
In the scientific community, this method of losing weight is often criticized for excess protein, which can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure and the need for dialysis. Also, doctors note that the diet is unbalanced, as a result of which there is a deficiency of important vitamins and minerals in the body. Despite the fact that the method assumes a fairly rapid weight loss, there is a high probability of "breakdowns" and the return of the previous weight.
"A pronounced deficiency of trace elements and vitamins leads to problems not only with the appearance, but also with the nervous, cardiovascular and digestive systems. As a result, all this can cause hormonal disruption. "
An example of a 7-day menu for the Ducan diet
Only proteins are allowed for the attack phase, so a sample diet might look like this.
Monday.Breakfast: scrambled eggs with tea or coffee. Lunch consists of chicken soup and mint tea. For an afternoon snack, you can use low-fat cheese cakes, and for dinner - baked mackerel and kefir with bran.
Tuesday.Breakfast: oat bran porridge, tea or coffee. For lunch, you can eat chops, and for an afternoon snack - kefir with bran. Dinner consists of turkey meatballs and chamomile tea.
Wednesday.Breakfast: boiled eggs, tea or coffee. Lunch: chicken in bran, tea. Afternoon snack: boiled seafood. Dinner: baked turkey pieces and yogurt.
Thursday.Breakfast: scrambled eggs with meat or ham, a cup of coffee. For lunch, you can eat fish soup with boiled eggs, for an afternoon snack - cheese cakes from the oven. For dinner, you should make an omelet roll with red fish, drink kefir with bran.
Friday.Breakfast: a sandwich with bran and ham, tea or coffee. Lunch: baked chicken and ginger tea. Afternoon snack: pancakes according to Ducan's bran recipe. Dinner: fish pie, green tea.
Saturday.Breakfast: scrambled eggs, tea or coffee. For lunch - beef steak, tea with lemon. For an afternoon snack, you can use bran tortilla and yogurt, and for dinner, fish salad and mint tea.
Sunday.Breakfast: omelet with cream cheese, tea or coffee. Lunch: assorted fish, kefir with bran. Afternoon snack: a dessert made from whipped proteins. Dinner: chicken baked in tomato sauce.
Ducan recipes are varied and include many dishes, including desserts, but no sugar.