The Ducan diet is very popular all over the world, mainly due to its quick and amazing results. It belongs to healthy eating systems. It allows you to lose weight and at the same time not go hungry, as it is allowed to use more than a hundred different tasty and satisfying products.
Characteristics and rules of the Duncan diet
The main objective of the Ducan Protein Diet is to reduce your intake of fat and carbohydrates. They are necessarily included in the slimming diet, but in minimal amounts. Proteins become the mainstay of the menu. They need to be eaten in the recommended amount for weight loss (this is about 1. 5 g per kilogram of weight). As a result, it is possible to get rid of the extra pounds and stabilize the amount reached on the scale.
The choice fell on protein as the basis of the diet for a reason.
There are several reasons for this:
- For the digestion of these substances, the body has to expend maximum energy and therefore calories.
- Pure proteins reduce hunger, prevent excess fluid from remaining in the body and increase its defenses.
- These substances prevent skin sagging. If the body does not have proteins, they will be extracted from the muscles.
It is very important to try to eat less salt when following the diet discussed. This additive retains water in the body and increases hunger. But it's also harmful to delete it completely. Especially for people suffering from low blood pressure.
At all stages of the diet, be sure to drink plenty of fluids. That's at least 2 liters of various liquids a day. Water also removes the feeling of hunger, filling the stomach and cleansing the body of all kinds of impurities. This is especially true with a protein diet. When protein is consumed in large amounts, the body constantly accumulates waste substances that need to be removed from it. Otherwise, it won't have the long-awaited effect.
Interestingly, even carbonated drinks can be consumed with this diet.
The main thing is to choose the "light" options that do not contain sugar. Its flavor also helps those who are losing weight deal with a strong craving for forbidden sweets.
Drinking is allowed at any time and regardless of the meal. The sensation of thirst must be completely satisfied and not dulled.
Description of steps
There are four main phases in the diet. The main objective of the first half of them is to get rid of the extra pounds. And the second is to fix the new ideal weight.
At each stage, you don't need to limit yourself to certain parts. You also don't need to count calories.
Stage 1 - attack
On the Ducan diet, attack is the initial stage. It's short but challenging and effective. The usual carbohydrate food is completely replaced by protein. This leads to active fat burning.
On average, this stage is designed for 7 days. But under some conditions it can last from 3 to 12 days. It all depends on how many hated pounds a person wants to lose.
In attack, you are allowed to eat protein foods from a special list. They can be consumed in any quantity and combined with each other. The main thing is to cook food without fat. For example, boil or grill.
In the first phase the weight starts to decrease very quickly. This encourages weight loss not to stop, but to continue to adhere to a difficult nutritional system.
Stage 2 - Cruise / Alternation
The second phase turned out to be very long. This is the main reason why those who are losing weight often have breakdowns at this stage. The phase under discussion usually lasts from a few months to six months. A special nutritional system must be followed until the weight becomes ideal.
The main idea of the second phase is to switch the menu. These are days of eating protein rich foods or their combinations with vegetables. You can change your diet every two, two, three days.
Protein menus should consist of "attack" products and mixed raw, cooked and roasted vegetables should be added. The latter should represent about 60% of the diet.
Step 3 - Consolidation / Consolidation
At this stage, all the most difficult is over. You can slowly and gradually begin to return to your normal diet. It is important to consolidate the weight achieved.
The duration of this phase will have to be determined by you. To do this, you need to calculate how much weight you managed to lose in the previous steps. For every pound lost, you need to add 10 days of "fix".
This period can turn out to be quite long (especially if more than 10 kg has been lost), but you shouldn't be afraid of that. Now you can even pamper yourself with delicious desserts and other culinary delights.
- Five days a week, you need to eat according to your usual alternating pattern.
- In the first half of the period, you can add to it daily 100 g of bread (whole grain), 200 g of fruit, 50 g of cheese.
- One day, consume proteins exclusively in the "attack" principle.
- On the seventh day, you are allowed to eat starchy foods (200 g), a portion of pork, ham, sausage, a favorite delicacy.
- In the second half of the day, you can enjoy the "Banquete" twice a week with fatty sweets and sausage. Days like this shouldn't follow each other.
The day of "Party" does not imply the use of "harmful things" throughout the day. It is only allowed to pamper yourself for 1 - 2 meals. It is also allowed to drink high quality weak wine.
Stage 4 - stabilization
At this stage, weight loss will return to your usual nutritional system with some peculiarities. First, you need to continue to follow the drinking regimen, continuing to consume a lot of water each day. It is very important to include in your schedule at least minimal daily physical activity - morning exercise, walking, turning down the elevator.
Be sure to organize fast days periodically and eat 3 tablespoons each day. me. oat bran in any form.
To maintain your ideal weight for a long time, it's worth taking the third phase as your foundation and making vegetables and protein products the foundation of your nutrition system forever. In this case, you can pamper yourself with 2 festive breakfasts or lunches per week, as well as 2 portions of products with starch in the composition.
It is also advisable to leave one day of protein per week. It will become a defense mechanism against repeated weight gain.
Allowed and prohibited products
Prohibited and permitted foods depend on the stage of the diet.
Therefore, in the beginning it is allowed to eat protein products from a special list.
This:
- horsemeat;
- beef;
- bird;
- Ham;
- offal;
- fish (even canned and smoked);
- crab sticks;
- eggs;
- Low-fat beverages and dairy products / fermented milk.
You can use 1 - 2 unsweetened pickled cucumbers (per day), 1 onion, a small amount of tomato paste, vegetable oil (not more than 1 small spoon), mustard, fresh garlic / granules, fresh / dried herbs .
Be sure to use 1 - 1, 5 tbsp. me. Bran. You can eat them anyway.
In the "toggle" phase, a variety of vegetables is added to all the foods listed above. Only legumes and potatoes will have to be completely eliminated.
These days are allowed:
- olives / olives (4 pcs. 2 times a week);
- flax and chia seeds (1 teaspoon per day).
There is still a need to consume oat bran.
As noted above, in the third stage, cheese, bread, fruit, and some favorite foods are added to the menu. Expanding your list continues with step four. The portion of the bran is increased to 3 tbsp. me.
Among the cheeses, it is worth choosing hard varieties. Fruits, bananas, cherries, grapes, dried fruits cannot be eaten.
At any stage of the diet under discussion, most sweets are strictly prohibited. For example, bars, cakes, candies, candies. During the consolidation of the result, you can treat yourself to a cube of dark chocolate or 1-2 fruit drops once a day. The exception is feast day meals, when even your favorite cake is allowed.
The list of products prohibited at all stages includes muffins, roasts, nuts, pasta, butter, goose and duck, mayonnaise and any ketchup-based sauces.
Detailed menu for every day
During the "attack" period, the diet will be as follows:
During the alternating phase, the menu base can be kept the same, but vegetable salads can be added every other day. For example, chops, nuggets or steaks. It is also allowed to roast meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables.
The following weekly menu is recommended in the "fixation" phase:
The menu for the third phase can be repeated on the fourth, not forgetting "party" days and other permissible indulgences.
Exercising with the Duncan Diet
Pierre Dukan notes that high quality weight loss and an ideal body are impossible without regular physical activity. The nutritionist advises combining your special nutritional system with training.
You can start with the minimum - replacing the elevator with climbing stairs, getting off public transport a few stops before home, morning exercises with 3-5 exercises.
Active walking should gradually become a daily exercise to lose weight.
You need to start with 20 minutes of walking, gradually increasing the time. It is advisable to walk outdoors on raised terrain.
If you decide to include intense physical training in your daily routine. For example, a trip to the gym, so the first phase of the diet is strictly prohibited. You can return to training only in the alternating food phase. It's best to get actively involved on days when vegetables are added to protein dishes.
Water aerobics has a beneficial effect on the figure. If possible, it is worth visiting the pool 1-2 times a week. It is not necessary to practice in water with a trainer. You can just swim for fun. At the same time, calories will be actively burned and figure reliefs will approach ideal.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of this Weight Loss Method
The diet under discussion has its pros and cons. They must be carefully studied by all people who have decided to lose weight in this way.
Benefits:
- Efficiency. If you strictly follow all their rules, about 1 kilo of excess weight will disappear each day.
- The ability to increase muscle tone, make the skin elastic and deal with cellulite.
- There is no need to constantly weigh portions and count calories.
- The ability to eat certain dishes/products in the amount needed for satiety.
Disadvantages:
- Imbalance. With long-term adherence to such a diet, a lack of certain vitamins and minerals is found in the patient's body.
- Possible side effects. In the first stage, some patients develop dizziness, a feeling of constant fatigue.
- Halitosis. This problem occurs when proteins are the mainstay of the human diet for a long period of time.
- High cost. The diet consists of expensive, high-quality foods.
How to get off the diet correctly
To maintain results, you need to get off the diet correctly. The exit starts in the consolidation phase. New foods, previously banned, are added to the diet of slimmers gradually and in small portions.
When stopping the diet, it's important to continue exercising and drinking plenty of water. Gradually, you are allowed to return desserts to your diet. But let it be high-quality dark chocolate, berries and berry marshmallows, honey, and other useful sweets.
Contraindications and possible damages
There is a complete list of contraindications that are an important reason for you to choose a different diet.
So, it is prohibited:
- People with metabolic problems. Including patients with pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus.
- Patients with chronic diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract and the entire urinary system. It is on these organs and systems that high doses of protein in the body will exert a great burden.
- Pregnant women and women during lactation. With this diet, most pregnant girls and their baby will lose vitamins and nutrients.
- Persons under 18 years old. Especially for girls with an unstable menstrual cycle. Otherwise, weight loss may face its serious violations or the complete disappearance of menstruation.
- People with heart and blood vessel disease. Weight loss lacks fatty acids in the diet, which can lead to aggravation of diseases.
- For women during menopause or the day before / after. An unbalanced diet during this period can cause hormonal disturbances.
- People with mental problems and increased emotionality. Lack of carbohydrates in the diet affects brain function.
In order for the Ducan diet to be effective and safe for a person, it is worth consulting a specialist before starting it. Especially if the man or woman has any health problems.