Not all people lose weight quickly and easily. Sometimes you have to fight for every kilogram for weeks or even months. It is for such choices that the Ducan diet was created. In this system, everyone loses weight, regardless of gender and age.
Who is Pierre Ducan?
A French doctor and nutritionist created the diet and named it after his last name. Pierre Dukan developed the system 30 years ago, but it gained fame after the author's textbook. In it, the author describes the mechanism in detail, describes the phases. Pierre Dukan himself lost weight with this system. According to him, thanks to the four stages and the absence of dietary restrictions, absolutely anyone can lose weight.
After the publication of the book, Pierre gained world fame, visited many countries and starred in television shows. Famous people tried their way to lose weight, it served as a good PR. Later, similar ketogenic diets appeared based on this system, but they did not receive as much popularity.
Basic principles of the diet.
The French doctor's diet is based on protein nutrition with a clear restriction of carbohydrates, fatty foods. But this does not mean that the diet is monotonous, consisting of a monotonous chicken with kefir. On the contrary, the Ducan protein diet is one of the few methods that allows you to consume sweets, various drinks, cakes, but with sugar substitutes and other diet products.
The lack of carbohydrates forces the body to actively break down protein foods and draw energy from its own fat stores.
As a basis, you can use the recipes given in the book, written here, or create your own dishes from the allowed list. From the beginning of the diet and after the end of the diet, Dr. Ducan strongly recommends taking oat bran. This is the fiber necessary for the body, which cleanses the intestines, accelerates the processing of proteins and adds variety to the menu.
Four phases with description
The system has been in development for a long time. Each phase is an important stage that you must go through from start to finish. You cannot change or shorten the duration. Only in this case, the Ducan diet will give a stable result. Neither in a year nor in ten years will the lost kilograms return.
The main stages of the Ducan diet and their duration:
- Attack. This phase allows you to believe in yourself, since in a few days you will be able to shed 3-7 kg. The Ducan Attack diet menu is based exclusively on bran and light, low-fat protein. The maximum duration is 10 days, usually 3 to 7.
- Alternation. Unlike the attack, this stage is quite long, the duration depends on the initial weight. If there is a lot, then you can stick to the alternation for 5, 7, 9 months. Vegetables and other allowed foods are added to protein foods; you can find them below. Protein and protein days with vegetables alternate in an equal ratio of 1: 1, 2: 2, or 3: 3.
- Consolidation is also consolidation. The most important phase, without which it will not be possible to maintain the result. The duration is calculated as follows: 1 kg of weight lost takes 10 days. That is, if 7 kg are dropped, then this stage will be equal to 70 days, a little more is possible, but not less.
- Stabilization. This is not even the stage of the Ducan diet, but life after it. The conclusion is simple: you need to arrange 1 day on the attack menu once a week and continue to use bran. This will prevent weight gain and allow you to stay in good shape for many years.
Important! The duration of each period (phase) of the Ducan diet depends on personal data, an individual calculation is required.
How much can you lose weight?
Pierre Ducan's diet does not reveal the exact numbers. Some people manage to lose 5 kg in a month, another person can easily lose 15 kg. Much depends on the strict observance of the system, the initial parameters. If a person has endocrine disorders, this diet may not work or the weight loss may be very slow.
On average, an attack loses 2 to 4–5% of the initial body weight. In alternation, up to 2-3 kg per week are needed. When set at 70%, the weight loss stops, sometimes the result sways, the plumb bobs are replaced by small increases.
What determines the result:
- From the initial weight. If a person is only 5-10 pounds overweight, he will definitely not lose them in a month.
- Of the female cycle. There is no reason to despair if at some point the weight does not decrease. If you are on a diet, very soon there will be a negative sign on the scale.
- From the work of the digestive tract. Constipation is a common occurrence on the Ducan diet. It is necessary to control the chair, act in time.
The Ducan diet is not suitable for people who need to shed a couple of pounds. But this system will become an outlet for a person who is more than 20 kg of excess weight. There are many people who have cut their weight in half, they have lost 40-60 kg with the help of this system.
Dukan diet: where to start the path to harmony?
Dr. Ducan recommends starting your diet by studying his book. Until read cover to cover, the system is difficult to understand. Perhaps this was the case until recently. But now there is a lot of structured information that saves time.
Where to start:
- To decide. The diet is long. Holidays, vacations, nervous experiences, problems, they should not spoil the way to the goal. It is important to choose the most comfortable period for losing weight.
- Study the Ducan diet, all phases, food lists, develop or find a suitable menu that must be clearly followed.
- Buy all the products. You need to watch what will be on the diet tomorrow. Otherwise, interruptions cannot be avoided. If a person works, then with the Ducan diet it is recommended to prepare a menu for each day in advance.
- Take action, weigh yourself. A visual assessment of the results is not always satisfying, especially in the first few weeks of weight loss, and the numbers cannot be deceived.
Also, for the Ducan diet, it is important to buy a kitchen scale that will help to dose the bran and other additional ingredients.
Diet rules
The diet is not balanced, the body will need some substances. In order not to interrupt the work of internal processes, from the very beginning you need to take a complex of vitamins and minerals. It will also help preserve skin, hair, nails with strong weight loss.
Other diet rules:
- Drink 1. 5 liters of water a day. This rule goes from one diet to another, the liquid is necessary to lose weight. Tea, coffee, any herbs are allowed, you can add sugar substitutes to them.
- Do not fry food in oil. But you can do it in a dry skillet. Most often, dishes are prepared stewed, boiling, in the oven.
- You should not get carried away by sugar substitutes, even if your diet allows it. The package will contain the maximum daily dose allowed. Too much can lead to nausea, a problem with the gastrointestinal tract.
- You must be careful with homemade dairy products. They are high in fat, which is not suitable for Dukan weight loss. The exception is the return and cottage cheese after the separation of milk.
The serving size is unlimited in the diet. But you don't need to overeat. Protein foods are well saturated, to satisfy hunger, most often 150-200 g is enough.
Below are tables with menus for five meals, but there may be many more. It is not necessary to ration protein products, as well as the time of consumption.
Phase "Attack": allowed and prohibited foods
The most difficult phase of the Ducan diet is the attack phase, the menu is strict and consists of the following foods. There are 72 of them plus 30g of oat bran. It is important that they are only in the composition, without additives or flour. Some people consume a tablespoon of bran, which is fundamentally wrong. Grain hulls are very light, so be sure to weigh them.
What can be consumed:
- all kinds of low-fat meats and offal;
- all birds, except geese, ducks;
- fish of all kinds, including fatty varieties, preserves, smoked meats;
- all seafood (scallops, shrimp, squid, and even crab sticks);
- chicken, duck, quail eggs, but there is a restriction on the yolks (no more than one pair per day);
- dairy products up to 1% fat;
- hams, sausages, sausages with a fat content of up to 4%;
- canned fish in its juice;
- Asian noodles, shirataki rice;
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
How to determine the fat content of sausages? You just need to see how much fat is per 100g of product, these data are next to the calorie content. If the fat is up to 4 g, then the product is suitable.
All products that are not on the list are prohibited. These are cereals, fruits, vegetables, fatty milks and meats. The ban includes nuts, sugar, mayonnaise and other purchased sauces, beans, all baked goods, and bread.
Phase "Alternation": allowed and prohibited foods
The alternating phase of the Dukan diet is often referred to as a cruise, as there are floating proteins and mixed days. During this period, all products from the previous stage of the attack are allowed, and a variety of vegetables appear.
Additional products (PDO) for alternation:
- tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, squash and all other vegetables, except potatoes;
- mushrooms (fresh, pickled, baked, stewed);
- greens of all kinds
- 1 tablespoon. l. sunflower oil, olive oil, milk thistle or any other type of oil.
Protein products can be used in any combination, use several types at once on one plate. But it is not recommended to make a wide range of vegetables, 2-3 kinds per day are enough. It is more careful to add pumpkin, beets, carrots to the diet, as they contain starch and have a higher sugar content.
By the way, some sources allow a green apple in Monsieur Ducan's diet. This is misinformation, there were no fruits in the development of the doctor.
Complementary Products (PDO)
Not all allowed products are listed above. The Dukan diet differs from other systems in an interesting and varied diet. There are additives to create interesting dishes. They can be used in baked goods, stews, main dishes.
What can be used in the diet:
- up to two tablespoons of tomato paste (not tomato sauce);
- 0 calorie carbonated drinks;
- soy sauce, vinegar of various kinds;
- garlic and onion;
- 2 pickles a day;
- yeast, soda, leavening agents, gelatin, thickeners;
- lemon juice;
- pickled ginger;
- nori;
- aromatic herbs, natural spices;
- cocoa up to 12% fat
- skimmed milk powder.
Particular attention is paid to sugar substitutes. They are the ones that allow you to cook pastries, cakes, jellies, ice cream and any other dessert. There are people who eat only protein without frills. But for a long time to follow the monotonous menu of the Ducan diet will get bored. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately take care of purchasing high-quality sugar substitutes and baking ingredients.
Ducan diet: menu for every day to attack
During the attack, the weight begins to actively disappear, but at the same time, the person may experience weakness, mood swings, nervousness and intense thirst. It is very important that the menu of the Ducan diet every day in the attack is as varied as possible, meets the needs of the body and suppresses the desire to consume forbidden carbohydrates.
The serving size doesn't matter, but the yolks are important to consider. No more than two pieces can be used; if necessary, it is allowed to add more protein or meat, fish products to the omelette.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Protein omelette | Coffee, 30 g of skim cheese | Lightly salted salmon, boiled egg | Pair of sausages, egg | Seafood mix with soy sauce | Scrambled eggs with chorizo | Chicken omelette |
| Refreshment | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea | 30 g of bran, tea |
| Dinner | Baked chicken | Meat chops | Stewed liver | Boiled meat | Baked chicken | Hearing | Roasted Fish |
| Afternoon snack | Soft curd | Kefir | Plain yogurt | Kefir | Spiced Protein Omelette | Curd | A glass of milk |
| Dinner | Baked fish with lemon | Protein omelette with crab sticks | Beef stew | Grilled shrimp with lemon | Fish cutlets | Baked chicken | Chicken hearts on kefir |
In the following menu of the Dukan diet, the bran is presented every day on the attack as a second snack in the afternoon. You can use them to make bread, pancakes, muffins, or other dishes with allowed ingredients. Below you can find some interesting recipes.
Menu for every day of the Dukan diet for the "Alternation" phase
It is from this moment that the true Ducan diet begins, the menu of each day impresses with a variety of dishes. The system allows you to eat like in a restaurant, while losing weight. Alternation can be carried out according to any scheme, but more often they use 1: 1 or 2: 2, it is difficult to withstand more than two days of protein.
| Monday | Tuesday protein day | Wednesday | Thursday, protein day | Friday | Saturday protein day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Protein omelette with mushrooms, tea with milk | Chicken omelette, coffee | Grilled zucchini, 1-2 eggs, 2 pickles | Soft cottage cheese with garlic, dill | Eggplant omelette, pickled ginger | Scrambled eggs with mushrooms, cocoa |
| Refreshment | Kefir bran | Bran pancake with ham | Bran, milk | Bran pancake, sahzam, cottage cheese | Kefir bran | Bran and coffee baked goods |
| Dinner | Cabbage soup with meat | Beef stew | Vegetable stew, meat | Tomato Chopped Chicken Cutlets | Celery soup with chicken and vegetables allowed | Fish in soy sauce |
| Afternoon snack | Pumpkin puree, a glass of milk | Curd dessert (there is a recipe below) | Carrot salad, cottage cheese | 2 eggs, kefir | Cucumber salad, egg | Milk |
| Dinner | Boiled fish (can be grilled), cole slaw | Chicken cutlets | Coleslaw, boiled meat | Squid stewed on kefir | Bell pepper stuffed with meat, herbs | Meat with onions and herbs |
Since alternation always presupposes a pair replacing each other, a calculation for 6 days is given in the table with the daily menu of the Ducan diet. Then you can continue to choose the dishes already indicated or propose your own options, take information from other sources.
Consolidation phase (consolidation, consolidation)
At the time of this stage, the person has reached the ideal or desired weight, but it is impossible to return to normal nutrition. The body is still vulnerable, it is important to gradually prepare it for daily feeding. The daily diet is based on mixed days of protein and carbohydrates, plus the gradual introduction of bread, cereals, non-sweet fruits, fatty meats. Don't add more 2-3 new products per week.
Basic rules of the consolidation stage:
- Oat bran continues to be consumed. You can replace some rye, wheat fiber.
- You can eat a cheat meal once a week. It's called "Party" on a diet. All dishes and products are allowed, including sweet fruits, cakes, ice cream, and baked goods. But in the size of a portion.
- One day it is still proteinaceous from the first phase. The author of the diet insists on Thursday, but this is not necessary.
For this stage of the Ducan diet, table recipes with a menu for every day are suitable. You can eat soups, vegetable stews, baked meat. You can still use sugar substitutes and other additives, limit potatoes, candy, and baked goods. They will not bring benefit to the figure without a diet.
Diet recipes
Losing weight on this diet is long-term, so eating only boiled or stewed meat will not work. Simple recipes are given in the table with the menu of the week for the Ducan diet. All of them are easy to prepare, if desired, they can be supplemented with sauces, vegetables, spices. But sometimes you need to cook something delicious, similar to the everyday food of ordinary people. This will help you not to succumb to temptations, to avoid breakdowns.
Cottage cheese dessert with jelly.
Gelatin is allowed by the diet, thanks to which you can prepare delicious protein desserts. The amount of sweetener to your liking. Low-fat dairy products.
Ingredients:
- 250 g of cottage cheese;
- 100 ml of milk;
- 1 tsp . latin;
- Sugar substitute;
- vanillin.
Cooking method
- Mix the gelatin and half of the milk, let it rest.
- Combine the rest of the milk with the sugar substitute. If it's in tablets, knead first. Pour into the cottage cheese, whisk or just grind well, add vanilla.
- Heat the milk with gelatin to dissolve all the curd. Pour into the cottage cheese through a strainer.
- Beat again, divide into two molds, refrigerate for 5-7 hours. The dessert should solidify.
If instant gelatin is used, it can be mixed with milk and melted after a few minutes.
Bran pancake
This pancake is a true godsend for this diet. It replaces baked goods, it goes well with meats, salads, sweet and salty cottage cheese. At the same time, it cooks very quickly in a normal skillet. It's this pancake featured on the menu above for Ducan diet week. It is often called flatbread.
Ingredients:
- 30 g of bran;
- 1 egg;
- 3 tablespoons of kefir;
- salt, baking powder.
Cooking method
- Grind the bran.
- Beat the egg with kefir, add bran, a pinch of salt. Optionally, you can introduce a baking powder, enough on the tip of a knife.
- Make a dough, let it act for five minutes.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet. Bake a couple of thin pancakes or pour all the batter, make a flat cake.
If you can't cook pancakes, they are broken, you don't want to turn over, then you can make pancakes from this batter.
Chicken ham
This ham is a great alternative to cold cuts and sausages, as it is not always possible to find the desired fat content in the store. The dish can be consumed during all phases of the diet.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of chicken breasts;
- 15 g of garlic;
- 15 g of sweet paprika;
- 15 g of gelatin;
- 12 g of salt;
- 2 g of black pepper.
Cooking method
- Chop the breasts very finely, make cubes of 0. 4-0. 4 cm. Pour into a bowl.
- Squeeze the garlic, add all the spices, including gelatin. Stir, cover with foil. Leave on for 2-3 hours. If it's hot at home, put it in the refrigerator.
- Stir again, put in a sausage-shaped baking bag, turn tightly, tie with a thread, tie the edges. Make a couple of punctures in different places.
- Bake the ham at 180 degrees for 35 minutes.
- Take out, chill, send to the refrigerator overnight. You can remove the bag in the morning.
It is not necessary to make such a ham from chicken fillet, turkey, any lean meat or mixture is suitable, but in this case, the cooking time in the oven can be increased.
Contraindications of the Ducan diet
There is still much controversy about the dangers and safety of this method of losing weight. The Dukan diet has a large number of contraindications. Before compliance, it is important to pass tests, check the functioning of the kidneys. Not all bodies are capable of consuming large amounts of protein.
The main contraindications:
- any disease of the gastrointestinal tract;
- diabetes;
- hormonal disorders and diseases of the thyroid gland;
- violation of metabolic processes in the body;
- pregnancy, including the planning stage, breastfeeding;
- menopausal period.
This diet is ideal only for healthy and young people aged 20 to 35-40 years. If you have any chronic illness, you should see a doctor. But everyone decides for themselves whether or not to use ketogenic diets.
Reviews of people who have lost weight on the Ducan diet
- "At Dukan I lost the first 20 kg, then I went to the PP with calorie counting. This diet was easy for me, but expensive. It is difficult to get high quality meat, good cottage cheese and other products from us, the prices are too high, I couldn't afford that kind of food. "
- "This is the only diet in which I have not experienced hunger. I have bulimia. In Dukan, I ate in the morning, ate at night, chewed something constantly and in the first week I threw 5 kg, then the plumbs were small, as a result, in3 months I lost weight from 77 to 58 kg. Now on the way out ".
- "I lost weight according to this system easily, there were no complaints about diet, as well as feeling hungry. But after 2 weeks, acne started to appear on my face and body. Apparently, the body reacted this way to suchamount of protein. I did not immediately associate the skin problems with the diet, but after another week I had to consult a dermatologist, as the rashes intensified. The doctor said to stop the diet, so afterlowering the 7 kg returned 3 kg ".