The Ducan diet is one of the most popular ways to lose weight. It was prepared by French nutritionist Pierre Ducan. The essence of the diet is the consumption of only allowed foods in any amount.
Basic principles of the Ducan diet
According to Pierre Ducan's method, the basis of the diet was the restriction of certain nutrients. In particular, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats is reduced. At the same time, nutrition changes in favor of protein foods. Thus, there is no limit to the amount of food consumed. Isn't that happiness? Have as much as you want and lose weight at the same time. True, lovers of chocolate, sugary bread and sweets will have more difficult moments. After all, these products will have to be eliminated from the diet.
It has long been known that protein is the main building material for muscles in the human body. Its importance should never be underestimated. Protein contains 80% of essential amino acids and 20% of amino acids that the body cannot synthesize on its own. In addition, this 20% is in different types of products. Therefore, it is very important to eat a variety of protein foods. Then the body will receive the full set of amino acids that are essential for the body.
An important difference from other diets is that there are clear stages. Under no circumstances should they be broken or returned. Weight loss will be followed by four stages of the diet:
- Attack.
- Alternative.
- Stabilization.
- Anchor.
The first two steps are clearly aimed at losing weight. And the last two help to strengthen the long-term result. Together, this helps prevent the yo-yo effect.
The "yo-yo" effect is the ability to not only regain your original weight after a diet, but also add a few extra pounds.
Pros and cons of diet
We need to talk about the undoubted benefits of diet. If everything is done according to the rules, the excess weight will not be returned. The new body weight remains at the same level for a long time. The basic rule is that you can't start eating everything you can immediately after the diet. Follow your dietitian's recommendations.
The advantage of the diet is that there is no feeling of hunger. There are 100 different foods to eat in the diet. As a result, there is not as much restriction as in any mono diet. Dizziness and fainting are not observed in a person who loses weight due to starvation.
But it is 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 a diet. All diets have contraindications.
- Sufficiently high load on the internal organs. This is especially true for the kidneys. According to protein products, a large formation of ketone bodies must be removed from the body in a timely manner. In this case, the main burden falls on the kidneys. If they can not cope, then the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood plasma may increase, and doctors may diagnose ketonosis.
- Weight loss will be followed by acetone in the mouth. Your health may deteriorate.
- A high-protein diet can cause constipation.
- In addition, a sharp decrease in fat intake can adversely affect women's health.
Fats in the female body are responsible for the menstrual cycle. Their absence can lead to malfunctions of the reproductive system.
It is also worth talking to your doctor about vitamins. If you limit the consumption of certain foods, many of the nutrients the body needs will stop flowing with them.
Nutrition rules at each stage of the Ducan diet
As mentioned earlier, the Dukan diet consists of four stages. You can eat a certain list of foods at each stage of the diet. Under no circumstances should you add anything to the product list.
Oat bran is allowed in the whole diet. They are needed to reduce the risk of constipation.
1st stage of the diet - "Attack"
The first phase of the diet lasts from two to seven days, depending on the desired result. The stage is called the attack, because now the diet is sharply reduced carbohydrates and fats. Special foods encourage the body to break down fats. Metabolism is accelerated and weight loss occurs. At this stage, you can lose up to 4 kilograms of excess weight. It is important to consume only 72 permitted protein foods.
2nd stage of the diet - "Alternative"
This stage can last a week. The maximum time is not limited and depends on the desired result. On average, she loses about 1 kilogram a week. The "alternation" stage is also called a "cruise". 28 vegetables are added to the existing 72 products.
Phase 3 of the diet - "Consolidation"
This step is necessary to consolidate the result already achieved. After two steps, if you suddenly add a lot of high-calorie foods to the menu, the weight will return. According to the rules developed by Pierre Dukan, for every kilogram lost in recent weeks, fixation should last 10 days.
4th stage of the diet - "Stabilization"
Stabilization is nutrition. There is no time limit. The "stabilization" phase should become a way of life, not a phase.
The same amount of kilograms can look completely different. During and after the diet you need to play sports and lead an active lifestyle.
Menu for each day of the diet
There is no limit to the amount of food you can eat, but you still can't eat too much. Moderation is important in everything.
There are many free resources with photo recipes for people on the Ducan diet. Thanks to the large table with the allowed products, you can create delicious and filling meals.
The following is an example diet for each day of the diet. It is undesirable to refuse food.
The average duration of the first phase of the diet is 7 days. You can find your own menu for the whole week or follow the list below. Every woman has to decide what is best for her situation.
Monday
- Breakfast - omelet and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken cutlets and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - cottage cheese casserole and tea.
- Lunch - meat soup with boiled eggs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - cutlets and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - wholemeal bread with melted cheese and coffee
- Lunch - fish cutlets.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - baked meat and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - omelet, coffee with lightly salted salmon.
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - fried chicken fillets and tea.
Friday
- Breakfast - bran bread with turkey ham and coffee.
- Lunch - the language of boiled beef.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - boiled shrimp and tea.
Saturday
- Breakfast - wholemeal pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - sirniki.
- Dinner - fish casserole and tea.
Sunday
- Breakfast - boiled eggs and coffee.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - turkey cutlets and kefir.
Remember the importance of water in your diet. You should drink at least 1. 5 liters of still water a day.
In the second stage, some foods that contain carbohydrates can be included in the diet. The duration of the stage is chosen individually. Below is a weekly meal option.
Monday
- Breakfast - omelet and coffee.
- Lunch - chicken cutlets and kefir.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - seafood and tea.
Tuesday
- Breakfast - cottage cheese casserole and tea.
- Lunch - salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce sprinkled with fish meatballs and lemon juice.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - cutlets and tea.
Wednesday
- Breakfast - lightly salted fish and bran bread with coffee
- Lunch - vegetable soup with beef.
- Snack - wholemeal pancakes and tea.
- Dinner - cooked meat, salad and kefir.
Thursday
- Breakfast - omelet with ham and coffee
- Lunch - fish soup with bran bread.
- Snack - cottage cheese.
- Dinner - meat rolls with cream cheese and tea.
Friday
- Breakfast - bran bread with turkey ham and coffee.
- Lunch - the language of boiled beef.
- Snack - cottage cheese casserole.
- Dinner - vegetable casserole with turkey and tea.
Saturday
- Breakfast - wholemeal pancakes and tea.
- Lunch - cooked beef liver.
- Snack - sirniki.
- Dinner - fish casserole with vegetables and tea.
Sunday
- Breakfast - cottage cheese with yogurt.
- Lunch - soup with meatballs.
- Snack - yogurt.
- Dinner - fish cutlets and tea.
The third stage of the Ducan diet is "consolidation". The basic diet is about the same, but there are some wonderful nutritional supplements. Add a glass of red wine to dinner on Saturdays. You can add some kind of dessert. The basic rule is that you should not have dessert or alcohol in your diet for one or two consecutive days. Once a day you can add berries, a banana or nuts to one of the dishes. You can add garnish (rice, pasta) to lunch or dinner once or twice a week. But all dishes should be cooked without fat.
This stage of the diet is not designed to lose weight. So far, the desired result must be achieved. It only remains to provide it. Once a week you need to make a protein day from the week of the attack. Pierre Ducan recommends doing this on Thursday.
The fourth stage does not provide for any restrictions. It is important to approach the process of nutrition rationally and not to overeat. It is recommended to fast once a week and eat only foods from the "attack" phase.