Dukan Diet Review

Is the Dukan Diet your answer to losing weight--and keeping it off? Let's take a look...

The Ducan Diet was created by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French physician who has helped thousands of others lose weight--and he wants to help you do the same.

Dukan's diet book does a good job of helping you lose weight fast--and keep it off for the long haul.

This book is about teaching you what foods to add, and which foods to avoid, for long-term weight management.

Here's what the book claims it will do for you...

The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever

Let's see how well it rates on that claim.

How Does the Dukan Diet Stack Up?

Easy to follow: 

This program does a good job of spelling out what you need to do in each of the four phases it walks you through.

It's "cut-and-paste" simple to follow.

The first phase is likely the toughest for most people, as it cuts out all carbs for a limited time--and that can be a challenging for some.

Effectiveness: 

This program can help you lose weight. No question about it.

It is less extreme than the Dr. Atkins' Diet and more versatile than many programs I have reviewed.

You could easily eat this way, lose weight, and look thinner without suffering at the hands of tasteless foods and boring entrees.

Long-term Success: 

I'd view this as a not as a "diet" but as a lifestyle eating plan that you can follow for years to come.

This plan could also be combined with other programs, to customize it to fit your food preferences.

Note: This program is for people who enjoy eating vegetables, meats and animal proteins, with some carbohydrates thrown in.

If you are a vegetarian, I'd suggest you move along--nothing for you to see in the Dukan Diet model--since Dr. Dukan's plan relies heavily on lean animal proteins.

  The Pros

• Eating in phases helps you achieve your weight loss goals.
  
  You are in phase one for a set amount of time, and you know it--so you follow it until you hit the next phase.
  
  This helps you set "mini goals" and attain them--leading to successful weight loss.
  
  
  
• High protein, low-carb diets support weight loss.
  
  I haven't seen a high carb diet cause significant weight loss, ever. In fact, I'd say that simple carbohydrates, in excess,are  the leading cause of our obesity epidemic.
  
  Ditch complex carbs, eat sensibly, and you're guaranteed to start dropping weight with very minimal exercise.
  
  
  
• You learn what foods help you get healthier and weight less.
  
  This "diet" is actually a system to move you toward learning to eat more of the right foods, more often.
  
  That's the story behind most weight loss plans--get you to eat better, exercise some, and stick with it.
  
  
  
• You can eat this way for a lifetime of better health.
  
  This is an eating plan that you could definitely "do" and stick with, because it allows for foods you'll enjoy eating.
  
  The phases are strict for a reason, but after you reach your goal, you can keep it up without strict diet rules.
  

  The Cons:

• There's one thing the book could stress more--and that is that the animal proteins you eat or drink (i.e. meat, dairy) should come from grass fed sources.
  
  Fish should come from "wild" sources--not farmed sources.
  
  Grass fed or wild caught animal proteins have high levels of healthy Omega-3 fats (the same fats that make fish oil supplements healthy for us).
  
  Increasing commercially raised animal proteins, which are fed corn, soy and grains, also increases unwanted Omega-6 fats in your diet.
  
  These Omega-6 fats, in high amounts, have a negative effect on health.
  
  
  
• Another thing to mention: The first phase of this diet may be difficult for someone who is not mentally ready to give up carbs.
  
  Cutting carbs can lead to feeling hungrier than you are, and feeling deprived of your favorite treats.
  
  After the first few days, the diet gets easier. 
  
  
•  Diabetics Use Caution: Diabetics need to be careful about how they reduce carbohydrates, intially.
  
  I believe diets like this one can help reverse Type II diabetes, but diabetics must use caution (and monitor blood glucose carefully) when starting any low-carb program--until your body adjusts.

4 Phases For A Healthier You

Remember the Ducan Diet claim is "2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever". Here's how that works:

1. The first phase (2-7 days) has you eating high quality proteins and no carbohyrates.
   
   For those of you that remember the Atkins' Diet, this first phase is much like that.
   
   During this phase you can expect rapid weight loss in just a couple weeks.
   
   
   
2. In the second phase, you move to this "cruising" stage, where you continue eating high levels of protein, with the addition of some vegetables.
   
   A few days a week, you can just have lean protein--other days, you have veggies and proteins.
   
   You will stay with this phase until you reach your target weight...this could be one week or many months, depending upon your goals.
   
   
   
3. The third phase is the "consolidation" phase.
   
   In this phase, you re-introduce some of the carbohydrate foods (bread, pasta and so on) that you eliminated in the first two phases.
   
   This is the phase where most people start to feel like they are eating without restrictions.
   
   
   
4. The fourth phase is the "stabilization" phase.
   
   Here you can eat whatever you like, for as long as you like.
   
   The only thing you have to do is follow the phase one eating plan (i.e. all proteins) for one day each week.
   
   Otherwise, you can eat as you please the rest of the week.

If you like  the Dukan Diet you might also like these:

The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat

The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance

The Primal Blueprint Cookbook: Primal, Low Carb, Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free

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