It has long been known that if we want to lose weight, we have to make many sacrifices. Various diets prohibit us from eating certain ingredients, and we are capable of many sacrifices to lose weight. It is similar with the Dukan diet, which, according to the opinion of many people who use it, is extremely restrictive. But the same people say it’s worth it because the effects are amazing.
The diet was developed by Dr. Pierre Dukan. He tried to compose such a way of eating that would be both effective and healthy. The system of this diet was arranged for many years and tested on the patients of the scientist, who from the very beginning noted many successes. The diet is divided into four phases, and each subsequent phase is more gentle and requires less and less sacrifice from people using it.
First of all, a person who decides to use a diet increases protein in his menu and gets rid of fats and carbohydrates. Proteins are low in calories, but large amounts of energy are used to process them. Importantly, when using this diet, there is no strict rhythm of eating meals, so we have complete freedom in this matter. In addition to such a way of eating, the second guiding principle, developed by Dr. Dukan, is the consumption of large amounts of water during the day, exactly about 1,5 liters.
The diet, as I mentioned earlier, consists of four phases:
- impact— then we take products that contain mainly proteins and contain almost no fat,
- alternating— otherwise known as the “balance phase”, where, apart from products with a high protein content, we also eat vegetables every other day,
- consolidation of effects— it lasts the longest, the rule is that for every kilogram lost, the fixation phase is to last 10 days,
- stabilization— in other words “protein Thursdays”, which should last a lifetime. You should choose one day a week during which we will eat only protein products.
However, there is no good diet that will bring the expected results without physical effort. Doctor Dukan also reminds about this, who, while using the diet, recommends exercise in the form of 20-minute daily brisk walking. This does not require special sacrifices from us, it is enough to give up the bus ride at least once a day, and instead give yourself this time for a walk.
It should be remembered that consuming a large amount of protein, and this is the Dukan diet, which is otherwise called “protein”, may have additional consequences. This is, for example, the lack of fiber intake, which is rarely present in products that are recommended to be eaten mainly in the first phase. It is very important for the excretory system, because it cleans our intestines. The next phases are enriched with this nutrient, so any problems should disappear then.
The Dukan diet has been hailed by many people as a “miracle” diet. In fact, the effects are amazing and we can achieve them very quickly. At the same time, we do not feel hunger, which may additionally encourage people struggling with obesity. A very important aspect of it is also the fact that, unlike other “miracle” diets, during which we lose weight quickly, but also quickly gain weight, with this diet we will not achieve the yo-yo effect, and its results will be permanent. Its disadvantage is the monotony that some complain about, but also the lack of consuming enough vitamins, which should then be taken in the form of supplementation.