Dukan diet: opinions of professionals
Despite the fact that the Dukan diet is one of the most popular and profitable (millions of people around the world follow this protein diet for weight loss, and the size of the book and branded food business is estimated at €100 million annually(1)), most Professional nutritionists are extremely negative towards the nutritional rules described by Dukan.
The French organization of doctors openly accused the author of the famous diet of “making a business out of medicine”(2), without caring at all about the impact of his advice on the health of those losing weight, and the British Dietetic Association for several years in a row called the Dukan diet the most dangerous diet for people. strongly recommending its avoidance (3).
Is this diet really effective?
The reason for the popularity of the Dukan diet is simple - its nutrition program does not require careful monitoring of nutrients, scrupulous calorie counting, or outright refusal to eat. In order to lose weight and get rid of excess weight, you just need to follow the basic provisions and stages of the diet, as well as eat according to the list of food products suggested by Dukan.
The main features of this diet are an emphasis on low-fat protein foods, maximum limitation of simple carbohydrates and sugars, and regular consumption of large amounts of fiber. In fact, the Dukan diet is a typical example of a low-carbohydrate diet (of which the keto diet is also a type), but with a simultaneous restriction of fat.
Menu for every day
So, the Dukan diet: menu for every day - the food table below will allow you to properly attack fat deposits, create your diet and not harm your health. This table will also be useful to you in the following stages, so try to keep it handy at all times.
In the diet you will see:
- Lean ham
- Low-fat dairy products,
- Onion and garlic,
- Boiled or baked fish,
- Sea fish, shrimp, etc.
- Eggs,
- Chicken and turkey fillet,
- Veal, beef, horse meat,
- Beef or veal tongue, kidneys and liver,
- Oat bran – 1.5 tbsp.
- Water – 1.5 liters.
All these food products can be combined in a dish to suit your taste.
The following products are strictly prohibited:
- sugar,
- pork,
- goose,
- duck.
As you understand, the “attack” cycle is the most effective compared to subsequent ones. A protein mono-diet will allow you to get rid of 1 to 7 kg in just a couple of days. This is a significant result!
Important! You cannot specifically extend the first phase of the diet.
Stages of the Dukan Diet in simple words
The Dukan diet itself is divided into four successive stages - attack, alternation, consolidation and stabilization. The attack is the shortest stage, lasting 2-6 days (only protein foods with an almost complete limitation of fats are allowed). During this time, you can lose 2-4 kg of weight, since a large amount of fluid leaves the body.
The second stage of the diet consists of alternating protein and protein-vegetable days. At first, only protein foods are allowed, then proteins and vegetables (a source of fiber and vitamins) are allowed in equal proportions. It is allowed to alternate days in the mode of one day after another, two after two, and so on. The duration of this stage of the Dukan diet is until the desired weight is reached.
Final result: consolidation and stabilization
Reviews from those who have lost weight indicate that consolidation is considered the simplest stage of the Dukan diet. The duration of this stage is calculated based on the figure of 10 days for each kilogram lost. At this stage, a portion of fruit per day, a portion of bread and cheese, and fatty meat once a week are added to the diet. Plus, any products from the rotation stage are acceptable.
Stabilization is the final stage of the Dukan diet, lasting for the rest of your life. The key nutritional principle for this stage is to consume 1-3 tablespoons of oat bran daily and one protein day per week (only protein foods are allowed). It is also important that at all stages of the diet, Dukan recommends intense walking for 30-60 minutes a day and avoiding the elevator.
What is the Dukan diet and for whom is it intended?
As the name suggests, the author of this weight loss technique was the famous nutritionist Pierre Dukan . The diet is based on the consumption of foods containing high protein content. It follows that the main emphasis in the diet is on fish, meat, eggs, and the first stage provides for unlimited consumption of these products. The main thing to understand is that proteins play the main role in the process of weight loss. They perfectly satisfy hunger, even if they do not contain many calories. In addition, the process of assimilation of proteins by the body requires additional calorie consumption.
The first stage of the diet is very difficult; not everyone is able to withstand a monotonous diet, because you are allowed to eat only protein of animal origin (fish or meat). It should be remembered that the duration of this stage should not exceed seven days, otherwise you risk harming your health.
Pros and cons: reviews of those losing weight according to Dukan
The main advantage of the Dukan diet is traditionally considered to be the absence of hunger. In fact, you can eat at any time and in any quantity. Reviews often say that the diet consists of simple and understandable products - in fact, you can easily eat in restaurants, ordering chicken or grilled beef steak, as well as fish, seafood and vegetables.
Among the fundamental disadvantages, reviews from those losing weight note the almost complete absence of fruit at most stages of the diet, constant thirst and the characteristic smell of acetone from the mouth on protein days (a direct result of ketosis processes). Among other things, some people losing weight on the Dukan diet begin to experience digestive difficulties.
Scientific evidence: mistakes of the Dukan diet
Scientists remind us that Dukan's book contains statements that contradict reality. The most severely criticized is the refusal of fat - Dukan does not mention that a healthy person needs at least 40-50 g of fat per day. Refusal of fat entails problems with fat-soluble vitamins (primarily vitamin D), absorption of calcium and a number of other minerals.
Based on the fact that the composition of human milk is in the proportion 5:3:2 (in terms of calories of carbohydrates, fats and proteins), Dukan concludes that this ratio is the “golden proportion”, and it is the most harmonious and correct for the nutrition of an adult person. Unfortunately, this opinion does not have any scientific evidence (4).
Who is it suitable for?
The Dukan Diet may be the solution for you if:
- You’ve already been on a diet before, but didn’t feel any results;
- you don’t want to torture yourself with hunger, because constantly thinking about food prevents you from concentrating on the rest of your life. The Dukan diet allows you to eat in any quantity and always;
- you are able to give preference to protein products, including meat and fish, without affecting your religious beliefs (by the way, this diet is not suitable for vegetarians);
- you realize that having a beautiful, healthy body is not a whim, but a necessity for feeling the fullness of life and getting rid of complexes.
Unscientific diet recommendations
In addition, the Dukan diet prohibits spinach (as containing sugar), although in reality spinach contains only 3.6 grams of sugar per huge 100 g serving of salad - however, at the same time, the diet classifies skim milk as an unlimited consumption product (forgetting that in A glass of any milk contains approximately 10-13 g of sugar).
Among other things, real scientific studies show that the Dukan diet does not change eating habits - more than 80% of the 5,000 study subjects who lost weight using this diet returned to their original weight within a few years (1). The reason why people do lose weight is not because of the Dukan diet, but because of the keto phase that the diet recommends.
Dukan diet: real review from someone who has lost weight
Pavel, FitSeven reader.
Age - 35 years, height - 172 cm, weight before the Dukan diet - 87 kg, weight after the diet - 68 kg. The result of losing weight is minus 19 kilograms in 4 months of the diet. “Diets with restriction of calories and food were very difficult for me - I love to eat too much. I was looking for other options that did not impose strict control on food. As a result, I decided to lose weight on the Dukan diet. The results of the first days pleased me. I ate my favorite meat, poultry, fish in huge quantities and lost weight! I didn’t play sports, but I started walking 30 minutes a day and gave up the elevator.
He reached his minimum weight of 68 kg after 4 months. I lost 19 kg, my skin condition and overall health improved. However, after completing the diet, I decided to move on to calorie counting, since I did not want to restrict carbohydrates in my diet for the rest of my life. Despite the fact that when counting calories, the feeling of hunger is more noticeable, it’s more convenient for me to simply eat healthy food - I’m pretty tired of protein foods.”
***
The Dukan diet is the least favorite diet among nutritionists. Shock weight loss, caused by a sharp rejection of fats and carbohydrates, is not long-term - in 80% of cases, the weight lost during the diet is returned. Scientific research suggests that in the long term, the Dukan diet can significantly harm health and normal metabolism.
Scientific sources:
- Dukan diet inventor faces censorship, source
- French diet guru Pierre Dukan faces ethics hearing, source
- British Dietetic Association (BDA): Worst Diets to Avoid, source
- Dukan Diet Review, source
Dukan diet reviews for losing weight with before and after photos
Oksana Timofeeva Review: On Dukan since November 1, 2012, initial weight 94 kg, now 72, PV 68, there were breakdowns, but I’m trying =)
Evgenia Popova Review: First photo: November 2013, second: July 2014. On a diet since November 11, 2013, current – 75.2. Fixed since 02.24.13, went to be fixed with a weight of 60.4. Today – 55.6)) Height 167. Thanks to Dukan!
Olga Yatskovskaya Review: I apologize for the quality - this is the only “before” photo available. Height 169, age 39. Results in 3 months. Went for consolidation. Patience and good luck everyone
