The Ducan Diet is one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It was developed by Pierre Ducan, 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 Pierre Ducan's method was the restriction of some nutrients. In particular, consumption of carbohydrates and fats decreases. At the same time, nutrition is shifting in favor of high-protein foods. As such, there is no limitation on the amount of food consumed. Isn't that happiness? There is as much as you want and at the same time you get thin. It is true that lovers of chocolates, sugar loaves and sweets will have more difficulties. After all, these products will have to be excluded from the diet.
It has long been known that protein is the main building block of muscle in the human body. Its importance should in no way be underestimated. Protein contains 80% non-essential amino acids and 20% amino acids, which the body cannot synthesize on its own. Furthermore, these 20% are in different types of products. That's why it's so important to eat a variety of protein foods. Then, the body will receive a complete set of amino acids important to 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 a long time ago. Together this helps to avoid the yo-yo effect.
The "yo-yo" effect is the likelihood that, after a diet, you will not only return to your original weight, but also add a few extra pounds.
Diet Pros and Cons
It is necessary to talk about the indisputable advantages of the diet. If everything is done according to the rules, the excess weight is not returned. The new body mass remains at the same level for a long time. The main rule of thumb is that after you finish your diet, you can't immediately start eating whatever is available to you. Follow your nutritionist's recommendations.
The advantage of diet is that there is no feeling of hunger. The diet includes 100 different foods to eat. As a result, there isn't as much sense of limitation as with any mono diet. A person who loses weight because of hunger does not feel dizzy and faint.
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 to consult your doctor before starting the diet. All diets have contraindications.
- A very high load on Organs internal organs. This is especially true for the kidneys. A large buildup of ketone bodies due to protein products must be removed from the body in a timely manner. In that case, the main burden goes to the kidneys. If they can't stand it, the concentration of ketone bodies in blood plasma can increase and doctors can diagnose ketonosis.
- Weight loss may taste like acetone in your mouth. The state of health may deteriorate slightly.
- A high protein diet can cause constipation.
- Furthermore, drastic reductions in fat intake can have a negative impact on women's health.
Female body fats are responsible for the menstrual cycle. Its lack can lead to malfunction of the reproductive system.
It's also worth talking to your doctor about vitamins. If you limit your intake of certain foods, many useful substances that the body needs will no longer flow with them.
Nutrition rules in each phase of the Ducan diet
As mentioned earlier, the Dukan diet consists of four stages. At each stage of the diet, you can eat a specific list of foods. In no case should you add anything to the product list.
Oat bran is allowed in the entire diet. They are needed 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, at the moment, there is a sharp drop in carbohydrates and fats in the diet. Special foods encourage the body to break down fats. Metabolism is accelerated and weight loss occurs. During this phase, you can lose up to 4 pounds of excess weight. It is important to consume only 72 protein foods allowed.
2nd phase of the diet - "Alternation"
This step can take a week. The maximum period is not limited and depends on the desired result. On average, about 1 kg is lost per week. The "toggle" phase is also called the "cruise". 28 vegetables are added to the 72 existing products.
Diet Step 3 - "Consolidation"
This phase is necessary to consolidate the result already obtained. If, after two phases, too many high-calorie foods are suddenly added to the menu, the weight will return. According to the rules developed by Pierre Dukan, the repair must take 10 days for every kilogram lost in the last few weeks.
Step 4 of the diet - "Stabilisation"
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.
Everyday diet menu
There are no restrictions on the amount of food, but you still can't overeat. Moderation is important in everything.
There are lots of free resources out there with 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 an example diet for each diet day. Skipping meals is undesirable.
The average duration of the first phase of the diet is 7 days. You can create your own menu for the entire week or follow the list below. Each woman must decide what will be most convenient for her case.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken chops and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
third
- Breakfast - cream cheese casserole and tea.
- Lunch - beef soup with boiled eggs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - chops and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran bread with melted cheese and coffee
- Lunch - fish cutlets.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - roast beef 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 - cottage cheese 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 chops and kefir.
Don't forget the importance of water in the diet. You should drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean still water a day.
In the second phase, some carbohydrate-containing foods can be introduced into the diet. The duration of the internship is individually selected. Below is a meal option for a week.
Monday
- Breakfast - scrambled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken chops and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
third
- Breakfast - cream cheese casserole and tea.
- Lunch - fish meatballs and a cucumber, tomato and lettuce salad sprinkled with lemon juice.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - chops and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - bran bread with lightly salted fish and coffee
- Lunch - vegetable soup with meat.
- Snack - bran pancakes and tea.
- Dinner - roast beef, salad and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - omelet with ham and coffee
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - meat loaf with cream cheese and tea.
Friday
- Breakfast - bran bread with turkey ham and coffee.
- Lunch - boiled beef tongue.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - vegetable stew with turkey and tea.
Saturday
- Breakfast - bran pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - cooked 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 staple diet is pretty much the same, but there are some interesting food additions. On Saturdays, add a glass of red wine to dinner. You can add some kind of dessert. The main rule of thumb is that you cannot include dessert and alcohol in your diet for a day or two in a row. Once a day, you can add fruit, a banana, or nuts to one of your meals. Once or twice a week for lunch or dinner, you can add an accompaniment (rice, pasta). But you need to cook all dishes without oil.
This phase of the diet is not intended for weight loss. At this point, the desired result should already be obtained. It only remains to protect him. Once a week, it is necessary to make a day of protein from the week of Attack. Pierre Ducan advises doing this on Thursday.
The fourth step does not imply any prohibitions. It is important to approach the nutritional process rationally and not overeat. It is advisable to go on a fast day once a week and only eat foods from the "attack" phase.