The Dukan diet is a diet, which is divided into 4 phases and, according to its author, allows you to lose weight (around 5kg) 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 you want to lose.
This diet was created by the French doctor Dr. Pierre Dukan and is fully explained in his book: ‘I can’t lose weight’. This is a good option for those who need to lose weight quickly. However, it is not a diet that changes eating habits. It is common to recover all the lost weight in a short time, unless you start another smaller restrictive diet to maintain the weight.
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:
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;
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 during 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’s only allowed to eat foods high in protein. Carbohydrate sources and sweets are prohibited.
Foods permitted: Lean meats, grilled, roasted or cooked without added fat, boiled eggs, smoked turkey breast, natural or skimmed yogurt, skimmed milk, cottage cheese. You 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 enables you to lose from 3 to 5 kg.
Example of menu for the Attack Phase
In the attack phase, the food is based only on foods high in protein. Thus, the menu can be:
Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or non-fat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran +cottage cheese and ham or 1 egg with cottage cheese. You can add coffee to milk, but not sugar.
Morning snack: 1 natural non-fat yogurt or cottage cheese + 2 slices of ham.
Lunch / Dinner: 250g of red meat or 3 grilled chicken steaks with ham or shrimp topping.
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 + cottage cheese.
It is important to remember that you are allowed to eat maximum 2 eggs per day.
2nd phase of the Dukan Diet – Cruise Phase
The second phase of the diet Dukan introduces some vegetables, but you still not allowed to eat carbohydrates. Vegetables should be eaten raw or boiled in water and salt. 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.
In this second phase, 1 day you should eat only protein. Another day protein, vegetables. You should repeat this until you will complete 7 days. On the days 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 non-fat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + cottage cheese with tomato or omelette of egg and tomato.
Morning snack: cottage 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 + cottage cheese or 1 boiled egg
3rd phase of the Dukan diet – Consolidation Phase
In the third phase of the Dukan diet, in addition to meat and vegetables, you can also eat 2 servings of fruit a day, 2 slices of whole-grain bread and one 40-g portion of any type of cheese.
At this stage, it’s also allowed to eat 1 serving of carbohydrate twice a week, such as brown rice, whole wheat noodles or beans. Also, 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 means, if you want to lose extra more 10 kg, this phase should last 100 days.
Sample menu for the Consolidation Phase
In the consolidation phase, the food becomes less restricted. You allowed to eat brown bread daily. Thus, the menu can be:
Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or non-fat 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.
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, and to ingest 3 spoons of oat bran per day.
Foods Allowed: All types of food are allowed, but whole grain foods should be preferred and 3 servings of fruit per day are required.
Forbidden foods: Nothing is forbidden, you can have a normal diet.
You need to drink at least 2 liters of water a day to ensure proper bowel function and also to get rid of toxins. Other liquids allowed are: tea, coffee without sugar or sweetener.
Example of menu for the Stabilization Phase
In the stabilization phase, you can have a normal diet, such as:
Breakfast: 1 glass of skim milk or non-fat yogurt + 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran + 2 slices of whole wheat bread with light cheese.
Morning snack: 1 pear + 4 crackers and 3 nuts + 1 slice of watermelon.
Lunch / Dinner: 120 g beef + 4 tablespoons of rice + 2 tablespoons of beans + 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.
