The Ducan Diet is one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It was developed by Pierre Ducan, a nutritionist from France. The essence of the diet is the use of only permitted foods in any quantity.
Basic principles of the Ducan diet
The basis of the diet according to the method of Pierre Ducan was the restriction of some nutrients. In particular, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats decreases. At the same time, nutrition is shifting in favor of protein foods. As such, there is no limitation in the amount of food consumed. Isn't this happiness? There is as much as you want and at the same time lose weight. True, lovers of chocolates, sugar buns and sweets will have a harder time. After all, these products will have to be excluded from the diet.
It has long been known that protein is the main building block for muscles in the human body. Its importance should in no way be underestimated. The protein contains 80% of nonessential amino acids and 20% of amino acids, which the body cannot synthesize on its own. Moreover, these 20% are in different types of products. This is why it is so important to eat a variety of protein foods. Then the body will receive a complete set of amino acids important for the body.
An important difference from other diets is the presence of clear stages. In no case should they be violated and reversed. Weight is reduced through four phases of the diet:
- Attack.
- Alternation.
- Stabilization.
- Anchoring.
The first two steps are clearly focused on weight loss. And the last two help to consolidate the result obtained for a long time. Together, this helps to avoid the yo-yo effect.
The "yo-yo" effect is the likelihood after a diet to return not only your original weight, but also add a few extra pounds.
Pros and cons of diet
It is necessary to say about the undoubted advantages of the diet. If everything is done according to the rules, then excess weight is not returned. The new body mass remains at the same level for a long time. The main rule is that after the end of the diet, you cannot immediately begin to eat everything that comes to hand. Follow the recommendations of your dietitian.
The advantage of the diet is that there is no feeling of hunger. The diet includes 100 different foods to eat. As a result, there is not much of a sense of limitation, as with any mono diet. A person losing weight from hunger does not experience dizziness and fainting.
But it is important to say about the disadvantages of the Ducan diet. There are not many of them, but they are:
It is important to consult your doctor before starting the diet. All diets have contraindications.
- Quite a high load on the internal organs. This is especially true for the kidneys. A large formation of ketone bodies due to protein products must be removed from the body in a timely manner. In this case, the main burden goes to the kidneys. If they do not cope, then the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood plasma can increase, and doctors can diagnose ketonosis.
- Losing weight can taste acetone in the mouth. The state of health may worsen slightly.
- A high protein diet can lead to constipation.
- In addition, drastic reductions in fat intake can negatively impact women's health.
Fats in the female body are responsible for the menstrual cycle. Their lack can lead to malfunctions of the reproductive system.
It is also worth talking with your doctor about vitamins. If you limit the consumption of certain foods, then many useful substances that are necessary for the body will cease to flow along with them.
Nutrition rules at each stage of the Ducan diet
As mentioned earlier, the Dukan diet consists of four stages. At each phase of the diet, you can eat a specific list of foods. In no case should you add anything to the list of products.
Oat bran is allowed throughout the diet. They are necessary in order to reduce the risk of constipation.
1st phase of the diet - "Attack"
The first stage of the diet lasts from two to seven days, depending on the desired result. The stage is called an attack because right now there is a sharp decrease in carbohydrates and fats in the diet. Specialty foods stimulate the body to break down fat. Metabolism is accelerated and weight loss occurs. During this stage, you can lose up to 4 kilograms of excess weight. It is important to only consume 72 permitted protein foods.
2nd phase of the diet - "Alternation"
This stage can last from a week. The maximum period is not limited and depends on the desired result. On average, about 1 kilogram is lost per week. The "alternation" phase is also called "cruise". 28 vegetables are added to the already existing 72 products.
Stage 3 of the diet - "Consolidation"
This phase is necessary in order to consolidate the already obtained result. If, after two phases, a lot of high-calorie foods are suddenly introduced into the menu, then the weight will return. According to the rules developed by Pierre Dukan, fixing should last 10 days for every kilogram that has been lost in the past weeks.
Stage 4 of the diet - "Stabilization"
Stabilization is nutrition. There is no time limit. The "Stabilization" phase should not become a stage, but a way of life.
The same amount of kilograms can look completely different. During and after the diet, you need to play sports and lead an active lifestyle.
Menu for every day of the diet
There are no restrictions on the amount of food, but you still can't overeat. Moderation is important in everything.
There are many free resources out there that have photo recipes for people on the Ducan diet. Thanks to the huge table with permitted products, you can create delicious and satisfying dishes.
Below is a sample diet for each day of the diet. Skipping meals is undesirable.
The average duration of the first phase of the diet is 7 days. You can come up with your own menu for the whole week, or you can follow the list below. Each woman must decide what will be more convenient in her case.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken cutlets and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - curd casserole and tea.
- Lunch - meat soup with boiled eggs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - cutlets and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran loaves with melted cheese and coffee
- Lunch - fish cutlets.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - baked meat and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs, coffee with lightly salted salmon.
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - grilled chicken fillet and tea.
Friday
- Breakfast - bran bread with turkey ham and coffee.
- Lunch - boiled beef tongue.
- Snack - curd casserole.
- Dinner - boiled shrimp and tea.
Saturday
- Breakfast - bran pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - syrniki.
- Dinner - fish stew and tea.
Sunday
- Breakfast - poached egg and coffee.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - turkey cutlets and kefir.
Do not forget about the importance of water during the diet. You must drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water a day without gas.
In the second phase, some foods containing carbohydrates can be introduced into the diet. The duration of the stage is selected individually. Below is a meal option for a week.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken cutlets and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - curd casserole and tea.
- Lunch - fish meatballs and a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce sprinkled with lemon juice.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - cutlets and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran loaves with lightly salted fish and coffee
- Lunch - vegetable soup with beef.
- Snack - bran pancakes and tea.
- Dinner - baked meat, salad and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - omelet with ham and coffee
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - meat roll with cream cheese and tea.
Friday
- Breakfast - bran bread with turkey ham and coffee.
- Lunch - boiled beef tongue.
- Snack - curd casserole.
- Dinner - vegetable stew with turkey and tea.
Saturday
- Breakfast - bran pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - stewed beef liver.
- Snack - syrniki.
- Dinner - fish stew with vegetables and tea.
Sunday
- Breakfast - cottage cheese with yogurt.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - fish cutlets and tea.
The third phase of the Ducan diet is "consolidation. "The basic diet is about the same, but there are some nice food additions. On Saturdays, add a glass of red wine for dinner. You can add some kind of dessert. The main rule is that you cannot have dessert and alcohol in your diet for one or two days in a row. Once a day, you can add berries, one banana, or nuts to one of the meals. Once or twice a week for lunch or dinner, you can add a side dish (rice, pasta). But you need to cook all the dishes without oil.
This phase of the diet is not intended for weight loss. By now, the desired result should already be obtained. It remains only to secure it. Once a week, it is necessary to do a protein day from the Attack week. Pierre Ducan advises doing it on Thursday.
The fourth stage does not imply any prohibitions. It is important to approach the nutritional process rationally and not to overeat. It is advisable to do a fasting day once a week and eat only foods from the "attack" phase.