The Ducan diet is one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It was developed by Pierre Ducan, a French nutritionist. The essence of the diet is the use of only allowed 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 certain nutrients. In particular, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats decreases. At the same time, nutrition is shifting in favor of protein foods. Therefore, there are no limits to the amount of food consumed. Isn't this happiness? There is everything you want and lose weight at the same time. True, lovers of chocolates, sugar buns and sweets will have more difficulty. After all, these products will have to be excluded from the diet.
It has long been known that proteins are the main building block of muscles 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. This is why it is so important to eat a variety of protein foods. Then the body will receive a full set of amino acids that are important for the body.
An important difference from other diets is the presence of clear phases. In no case should they be violated and canceled. Weight is reduced through four stages 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 avoid the yo-yo effect.
The "yo-yo" effect is the likelihood after a diet to not only return your original weight, but also to 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 the 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 can not immediately start eating everything that comes within reach. Follow the advice of your dietician.
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 isn't as much sense of restriction as with any mono diet. A person who loses weight from hunger does not feel dizzy and faint.
But it's important to talk about the drawbacks of the Ducan diet. There aren't many, but they are:
It is important to consult your doctor before starting the diet. All diets have contraindications.
- A rather high load on the internal organs. This is especially true of 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 load goes to the kidneys. If they can't, the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood plasma can rise and doctors can diagnose ketonosis.
- Losing weight can taste acetone in your mouth. The state of health may deteriorate slightly.
- A high-protein diet can lead to constipation.
- Additionally, drastic reductions in fat intake can negatively impact women's health.
The fats in the female body are responsible for the menstrual cycle. Lack of them can lead to malfunctions of the reproductive system.
It's also worth talking to your doctor about vitamins. If you limit the consumption of certain foods, then many useful substances necessary for the body will cease to flow with them.
Nutritional rules in each phase of the Ducan diet
As mentioned above, the Dukan diet consists of four phases. At each stage of the diet, you can eat a specific list of foods. Under no circumstances add anything to the product list.
Oat bran is allowed throughout the diet. They are needed to reduce the risk of constipation.
1st phase of the diet - "Attack"
The first phase of the diet lasts from two to seven days, depending on the desired result. The phase is called attack because at this time there is a sharp decrease in carbohydrates and fats in the diet. Special foods stimulate the body to break down fats. 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 phase can last from a week. The maximum period is not limited and depends on the desired result. On average, about 1 kilogram per week is lost. The "alternation" phase is also called "cruise". To the 72 existing products, 28 vegetables are added.
Phase 3 of the diet - "Consolidation"
This phase is necessary to consolidate the result already obtained. If, after two stages, 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 lost in the last few weeks.
Phase 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, it is necessary 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 following the Ducan diet. Thanks to the huge table with allowed products, it is possible to create delicious and satisfying dishes.
Below is an example of a 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 create your 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.
on Saturday
- Breakfast: Bran pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - syrniki.
- Dinner: fish stew and tea.
Sunday
- Breakfast: poached eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner: Turkey cutlets and kefir.
Don't forget the importance of water in your diet. You need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water per day without gas.
In the second phase, some foods containing carbohydrates can be introduced into the diet. The duration of the phase is selected individually. Below is a meal option for one 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 balls and cucumber, tomato and lettuce salad 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 - omelette 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.
on 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 more or less the same, but there are some nice food additions. On Saturday, for dinner, add a glass of red wine. You can add some kind of dessert. The main rule is that you cannot 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. Once or twice a week for lunch or dinner you can add a side dish (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 achieved. It remains only to ensure it. Once a week, it is necessary to do a protein day from the week of attack. Pierre Ducan recommends doing it on Thursday.
The fourth stage does not imply any prohibition. It is important to approach the nutritional process rationally and not to overeat. It is recommended that you do a day of fasting once a week and only eat foods from the "attack" phase.