The Ducan Diet is one of the most popular weight loss methods. It was developed by Pierre Ducan, a nutritionist from France. The essence of the diet is the use of only permitted foods in any amount.
Basic principles of the Ducan diet
The basis of the diet according to the Pierre Ducan method was the restriction of some nutrients. In particular, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats decreases. At the same time, the diet is shifting in favor of protein-containing foods. Therefore there is no limit to the amount of food. Ain't that luckThere is as much as you want and lose weight at the same time. True, lovers of chocolates, sugar rolls, and sweets will have a harder time. Eventually, these products must be excluded from the diet.
It has long been known that protein is the main building block for the muscles in the human body. Their importance should by no means be underestimated. The protein contains 80% non-essential amino acids and 20% amino acids that the body cannot synthesize itself. In addition, this 20% is found in different types of products. This is why it is so important to eat a wide variety of foods that contain protein. Then the body receives a complete set of amino acids that are important for the body.
An important difference from other diets is the presence of clear stages. Under no circumstances should they be violated and reversed. Weight is reduced through four phases of the diet:
- Attack.
- Change.
- Stabilization.
- Anchoring.
The first two steps are clearly geared towards weight loss. And the last two will help consolidate the result obtained for a long time. Together this helps avoid the yo-yo effect.
The "yo-yo" effect is the likelihood that not only will you regain your original weight after a diet, but you will also add a few extra pounds.
Pros and cons of the diet
It is necessary to say about the undoubted advantages of the diet. If everything is done according to the rules, then excess weight will not be 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 eat everything that is available to you. Follow your nutritionist's recommendations.
The advantage of the diet is that there is no feeling of hunger. The diet includes 100 different foods. As a result, there isn't much of a sense of limitation like any mono diet. A person who loses weight from hunger does not experience dizziness or fainting.
But it's important to talk about the disadvantages of the Ducan diet. There aren't many of them, but they are:
It is important that you consult your doctor before starting the diet. All diets have contraindications.
- Quite a high load on the internal organs. This is especially true of the kidneys. A large formation of ketone bodies from protein products must be removed from the body in a timely manner. In this case, the main burden goes to the kidneys. If they don't cope, the levels 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 deteriorate slightly.
- Eating a high protein diet can lead to constipation.
- In addition, drastically reducing fat intake can have a negative impact on women's health.
Fats in the female body are responsible for the menstrual cycle. Their absence can lead to malfunction of the reproductive system.
It is also worth talking to your doctor about vitamins. If you limit the consumption of certain foods, many beneficial substances that are necessary for the body will no longer flow with it.
Diet rules at every stage of the Ducan Diet
As mentioned earlier, the Dukan Diet consists of four phases. At each stage of the diet, you can have a specific list of foods to eat. In no case should you add anything to the product list.
Oat bran is allowed throughout the diet. They are necessary to reduce the risk of constipation.
1st phase of the diet - "attack"
The first phase of the diet lasts two to seven days, depending on the desired result. The phase is known as an attack because at the moment the carbohydrates and fats in the diet have decreased significantly. Special foods stimulate the body to break down fats. The metabolism is accelerated and there is a loss of weight. During this phase, you can lose up to 4 kilograms of excess weight. It is important to consume only 72 permitted protein foods.
2nd phase of the diet - "Alternation"
This phase can last a week. The maximum duration is not limited and depends on the desired result. On average, around 1 kilogram is lost per week. The "change" 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 to consolidate the result already achieved. If, after two phases, a lot of high-calorie foods are suddenly included in the menu, the weight will return. According to the rules developed by Pierre Dukan, the restraint should last 10 days for every kilogram lost in the past few weeks.
Stage 4 of the diet - "stabilization"
Stabilization is nutrition. There is no time limit. The "stabilization" phase should not become a stage, but an attitude towards life.
The same amount of kilograms can look very different. You need to exercise and lead an active lifestyle during and after the diet.
Menu for each day of the diet
There are no quantity restrictions, but you still cannot overeat. Moderation is important in everything.
There are many free resources available that include photo recipes for people on the Ducan Diet. Thanks to the huge table with approved products, you can prepare delicious and filling 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 compose your own menu for the whole week or you can follow the list below. Every woman needs to decide what is more convenient in her case.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - Chicken Schnitzel and Kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - curd casserole and tea.
- Lunch - meat soup with boiled eggs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - schnitzel and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran breads 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 schnitzel and kefir.
Do not forget about the importance of water while dieting. You need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water without gas every day.
In the second phase, some foods high in carbohydrates can be included in the diet. The duration of the stage is chosen individually. Below is a meal option for a week.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - Chicken Schnitzel and Kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - curd casserole and tea.
- Lunch - fish cakes and a salad of cucumber, tomato and lettuce sprinkled with lemon juice.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - schnitzel and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran breads with lightly salted fish and coffee
- Lunch - vegetable soup with beef.
- Snack - bran pancakes and tea.
- Dinner - baked meat, salad and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - omelette with ham and coffee
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - meat rolls 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 - braised 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 diets are about the same, but there are some nice additions out there. Add a glass of red wine to dinner on Saturdays. You can add some kind of dessert to it. The main rule is that you shouldn't have dessert and alcohol in your diet for a day or two in a row. Once a day you can add berries, a banana or nuts to one of the meals. You can add a side dish (rice, pasta) to lunch or dinner once or twice a week. But you need to cook all dishes without oil.
This phase of the diet is not intended for weight loss. The desired result should already have been achieved by now. All that remains is to secure it. Once a week it is necessary to make a protein day out of the attack week. Pierre Ducan advises doing it on Thursday.
The fourth level does not contain any prohibitions. It is important to approach the nutritional process rationally and not overeat. It is advisable to fast once a week and only eat foods from the "attack phase".