Do you want to lose 20 pounds or more quickly? If you haven't
tried the Dukan Diet, keep reading this article. Created by a French
doctor Pierre Dukan, this diet has created a stir in France over the
last decade and was just released outside of France.
The Dukan
Diet has proven a success in people with a little weight to lose and for
those who want to lose a lot of weight in a hurry. Dr. Dukan notes that
our weight gain is a result of how many fat cells we have. When we
overeat, we get to a certain point where the fat cells grow large enough
that if we don't stop the unhealthy cycle, they then split into two
creating more fat cells. This makes dieting much harder. After working
with thousands of patients, Dr. Dukan developed this diet to help people
with all different body shapes and sizes to be able to lose and
maintain weight loss.
The Dukan Diet helps people lose weight
quickly because it works to attack the problem with an intense and
limited diet in the beginning, gradually working into something that you
can maintain for life. In his ten years working with patients, Dr.
Dukan found that this worked for people who were obese and those who
wanted to drop a few pounds to get to their ideal weight.
The
Dukan diet is broken up into four sections or phases: the attack phase,
the cruise phase, the consolidation phase and the stabilization phase.
The diet isn't easy and requires some discipline but if you do stick
with it, you can lose weight quickly. The Dukan Diet isn't a quick fix
plan - it's a plan for life. Dukan focuses heavily on maintenance,
getting through that critical period where most people gain back any
weight they've lost through quick crash diets.
During the attack
phase of the diet, you eat only protein. The focus on protein seems like
the Atkin's plan. However, in contrast to the Atkin's plan, this isn't
fatty protein with butter and as much fat as you like. Fat is to be
trimmed off of beef and other meats, skin to be removed from the
chicken. The attack phase or first portion of the diet can be done for
one to ten days, depending on how much weight you need to lose. To lose
more weight quickly, continue this attack first phase of the diet for as
long as necessary.
The second phase of the Dukan diet is the
cruise phase. You will continue to lose weight during this phase but not
at the rate you did in the first phase. You will be alternating your
protein-only days with protein and vegetable days. Avoiding starchy
vegetables is important - most green vegetables can be eaten without
restriction during this period on vegetable days. During the cruise
phase of the Dukan diet, you can expect to lose about 2 pounds per week.
You stay in this phase alternating protein and protein/vegetable days
until you've reached your weight loss goal. If you want to lose weight
quickly, stay in the attack phase for a longer time before starting this
second phase of the diet. Then, continue the cruise phase until you
reach your weight loss goal.
The consolidation phase is the third
part of of the Dukan Diet. It is this period that Dr. Dukan says is the
critical period where most dieters gain back weight they have lost.
During this phase, you can add back in limited amounts of breads,
cheese, pasta and other foods you love in moderation. Eat lean protein
and vegetables every day. You can add in one serving of fruit per day as
well as limited portions of whole grains and dairy. Dukan advises five
days of this third phase for every pound of weight you have lost. You
don't continue to lose weight in this phase so if you wanted to lose
more weight. On the Dukan Diet, it is advised that you do low impact
exercise such as a walk for 25 minutes each day.
The fourth phase
or stabilization of the Dukan diet is your maintenance plan for life. In
this phase, no foods are forbidden but one day each week, you eat only
protein. You won't lose weight doing this but it will help you to
maintain by balancing out the food during the rest of your week. Similar
to the attack phase, during the protein days of the diet, avoid fats
and chicken skin and avoid sauces.
Does this diet sound like
something you could do? If you could lose 20, 30, 40 pounds or more and
maintain it for life, it might be worth it right? Dr. Dukan has many
patients thrilled with their weight loss on the Dukan Diet and now that
it is available outside of France, more and more people are waking up to
the possibility of quick weight loss with long-term results.
