The Dukan diet is a diet divided in 4 phases and, according to its author, allows to lose weight about 5 kg already in the first week. In the first phase, the diet is made only with proteins, and the duration of the diet depends on the amount of weight that the person wants to lose weight.
This diet was created by the French doctor Dr. Pierre Dukan and is fully explained in his book: 'I can not lose weight'. This is a good option for those who need to lose weight quickly, but it is not a diet that changes eating habits. Therefore, it is common to recover all the lost weight in a short time, unless you start another smaller restrictive diet, when achieving the ideal weight, to maintain the weight.
See how many pounds you need to lose by putting your data in the following calculator:
Check out the foods allowed, the forbidden ones and how each stage of the Dukan diet works:
Dukan diet step by step
To know how many days each diet phase should last, Dr. Dukan suggests:
- For those who want to lose 5kg: 1 day in the 1st phase;
- For those who want to lose 6 to 10 kg: 3 days in the 1st phase;
- For those who want to lose 11 to 20 kg: 7 days in the first phase.
The duration of the other phases varies according to the weight loss of the individual, and the only sweets that can be eaten in this diet are Dr. Dukan's skimmed egg pudding and sugar-free light gelatine. Here's the step-by-step Dukan diet.
1st phase of the Dukan diet - attack phase
In the first phase of the Dukan diet, it is only allowed to eat foods high in protein, and carbohydrate sources and sweets are prohibited.
- Foods permitted: lean meats, grilled, roasted or cooked without added fat, kani, boiled eggs, smoked turkey breast, natural or skimmed yogurt, skimmed milk, cottage cheese. One should always eat a spoon and a half of oat bran per day, as it satisfies the hunger, and 1 spoon of Goji berries, for its purifying power.
- Forbidden foods: All carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta, fruit and sweets.
This phase lasts from 3 to 7 days and loses from 3 to 5 kg.
Example of menu for the attack phase
In the attack phase, the feed is based only on foods high in protein. Thus, the menu can be:
- Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or nonfat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + 2 slices of cheese and ham or 1 egg with 2 slices of cheese. You can add coffee to milk, but not sugar.
- Morning snack: 1 natural nonfat yogurt or 2 slices of cheese + 2 slices of ham.
- Lunch / Dinner: 250g of red meat to the sauce 4 cheeses, made with skim milk or 3 grilled chicken steaks with topping of cheese and ham or shrimp to the cheese sauce.
- Afternoon snack: 1 skim yogurt or 1 cup of skim milk + 1 tablespoon of Goji berries + 1 boiled egg or 2 slices of tofu + 3 slices of ham or 1 soy hamburger + 1 slice of cottage cheese.
It is important to remember that only 2 eggs per day are allowed.
2nd phase of the Dukan diet - cruise phase
In the second phase of the diet Dukan introduces to feed some vegetables, but it is not allowed to eat carbohydrates. Vegetables should be eaten raw or boiled in water and salt, and the only candy allowed is light gelatine. The seasonings used should be olive oil, lemon, herbs like parsley and rosemary or balsamic vinegar.
- Food allowed: tomato, cucumber, radish, lettuce, mushroom, celery, chard, eggplant and zucchini.
- Forbidden foods : foods rich in carbohydrates, sweets and fruits.
Attention: in this second phase, one should intercalate 1 day eating only protein and another day eating protein, vegetables and vegetables, until completing 7 days. On the day that you eat only protein, you should also eat 1 tablespoon of Goji berries and, on other days, 2 tablespoons.
Example of menu for the cruise phase
You should follow the menu of the attack phase for protein days. The following menu provides examples of meals for the days when you eat protein and vegetables:
- Breakfast: 1 cup of skim milk or nonfat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + 2 slices of roasted cheese with tomato or pancake of egg and tomato.
- Morning snack: 2 slices of cheese + 2 slices of ham.
- Lunch / Dinner: 250g of meat in tomato sauce with cucumber salad, lettuce and eggplant or 2 salmon slices in mushroom sauce + tomato salad, zucchini and chard.
- Afternoon snack: 1 skim yogurt + 1 tablespoon of Goji berries + 2 slices of cheese or 1 boiled egg
At this stage, lasting up to 1 week, 1 to 2 kg is lost. Here's a suggested recipe for this phase of the diet: Dukan Pancake Recipe.
3rd phase of the Dukan diet - consolidation phase
In the third phase of the Dukan diet, in addition to meat, vegetables and vegetables, you can also eat 2 servings of fruit a day, 2 slices of whole-grain bread and 1 40-g portion of any type of cheese.
At this stage, it is also allowed to eat 1 serving of carbohydrate twice a week, such as brown rice, whole noodles or beans, and you can have 2 complete free meals where you can eat any food that has already been allowed in the diet together with a glass of wine or beer.
- Foods allowed: protein, vegetables, vegetables, 2 fruits per day, brown bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, beans and cheese.
- Forbidden foods: white rice, white noodles and all other sources of carbohydrates. Forbidden fruits: banana, grape and cherry.
This phase should last 10 days for every 1 kg that the individual wants to lose. That is, if the individual wants to lose even more 10 kg, this phase should last 100 days.
Sample menu for the consolidation phase
In the consolidation phase, the food becomes more liberated, being able to eat brown bread daily. Thus, the menu can be:
- Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or nonfat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + 1 slice of whole wheat bread with cheese, tomato and lettuce.
- Morning snack: 1 apple + 1 slice of cheese and ham.
- Lunch / Dinner: 130 g of chicken breast with tomato sauce + brown rice + raw vegetable salad or 1 can of tuna with pasta noodles with pesto sauce + raw vegetable salad + 1 orange.
- Afternoon snack: 1 natural skim yogurt + 1 tablespoon Goji + 1 slice of whole wheat bread with cheese.
See recipes that can be used at this stage in: Dukan Breakfast Recipe and Dukan Bread Recipe.
4th phase of the Dukan diet - stabilization phase
In the 4th phase of the Dukan diet, the recommendations are: to do once a week the diet of the protein similar to the 1st phase, to do 20 minutes of physical exercise per day, to leave the elevator and to use the stairs, and to ingest 3 spoons of oat bran per day.
- Foods Allowed: All types of food are allowed, but whole foods should be preferred and 3 servings of fruit per day are required.
- Forbidden foods: nothing is forbidden, one can have a normal diet.
In this diet you need to drink at least 2 liters of water a day to ensure proper bowel function and get rid of toxins. Other liquids allowed are tea, coffee without sugar or sweetener and zero coolant in moderation.
Example of menu for the stabilization phase
In the stabilization phase, one can have a normal diet, such as:
- Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or nonfat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with light minas cheese.
- Morning snack: 1 pear + 4 crackers and 3 nuts + 1 slice of watermelon.
- Lunch / Dinner: 120 g beef + 4 sour rice + 2 sour bean soup + raw salad + 1 orange
- Afternoon snack: 1 skimmed yoghurt + 1.5 tablespoons oat bran + 4 whole-grain toast with ricotta.
It is important to remember that the Dukan diet is restrictive and can cause discomfort, dizziness and weakness, in addition to not taking into account dietary reeducation, which facilitates weight gain after dieting. So being the most recommended to lose weight is to go to the nutritionist and follow their guidelines.
Learn how to make the fast metabolism diet to lose 10 kg in less than a month.
