The Ducan diet

The problem of overweight is one of the most urgent in the world, every year this issue becomes more relevant. Sedentary lifestyle, love of television and computers, poor quality food and chemical food additives negatively affect people's physical shape. Doctors have long been alarmed, trying to draw attention to the global problem of obesity. This, of course, does not affect you and me, but it is also not worth starting the situation, especially since summer and vacation are coming soon.

In this article we will talk about the weight loss system of Pierre Ducant, a French nutritionist who revolutionized the world of nutrition and who proposed a completely new method of weight loss based not on reducing the number of calories, but on the composition and properties of food. enters the body.

What is the Ducan diet

Pierre Ducan's diet

Pierre Ducan is a French physician and nutritionist who has been studying the effects of food on the human body for more than forty years. After studying people's eating behavior, he was able to discover the secret to achieving ideal weight without starvation and strict dietary restrictions. Pierre Ducan has written 19 books, but the bestseller "I don't know how to lose weight" brought him the greatest fame, thanks to which more than 15 million people managed to lose weight.

Pierre Ducan's diet is designed for people who are unable to starve, its motto is "Eat as much as you want and lose weight. "Pierre Ducan first addressed nutrition issues when one of his clients needed help fighting obesity. After the doctor offered his developments, the patient lost 3 kilograms in five days, and in the next three days lost another 1, 5 kg - this marked the beginning of Ducan's career as a nutritionist.

The system is based on the principles of a protein diet, which allows you to start the process of burning fat and thus get rid of excess weight without damaging muscle tissue. The sharp reduction in the number of carbohydrates and fats consumed contributes to effective weight loss and "drying" of the figure. Please note that this technique can be called a food system, not a diet, as it is divided into four main stages, after which you can completely change your eating habits and learn how to eat one. way to maintain an ideal weight.

When a large amount of protein enters the body, the metabolism is accelerated, toxins and toxins are removed, hunger and constant nervousness disappear. However, the prolonged absence of the right fats and carbohydrates in the diet can lead to poor health and the appearance of serious diseases, so it is necessary to adhere to a protein diet clearly according to the scheme, listening to all recommendations and following the rules

The main difference between the Ducan diet and other methods is that it does not impose any restrictions on the amount of food consumed, you do not need to count every bite you eat and suffer from hunger. The system ensures that the weight remains within normal limits even after the end of the diet.

The advantage of the Ducan diet is that it is highly effective and not hungry. The disadvantage of all weight loss methods is usually standard: poor dietary balance, so you should strictly adhere to the diet plan and listen to your feelings, if you feel uncomfortable, then you may need to choose another weight loss option.

Diet Plan

Dr. Ducan's diet is the first to use a structured approach and a four-step weight loss system. The first two stages are aimed at effective weight loss, and the others are aimed at consolidating the result and stabilizing the weight. In the process of losing weight a person should be guided by a list of 100 permitted foods that can be consumed at different stages of the diet: 72 pure protein products - fish, meat, seafood, vegetable proteins, low-fat dairy products and 28 vegetables. Oat bran is an important part of the system, so don't ignore it.

At the "Attack" stage it is allowed to consume 72 products from the first group, at the "Alternation" stage (or "Cruise") - 28 more vegetables are introduced in the diet. During the consolidation of the result, the body gets used to a new diet, and pure protein on Thursday allows you to adjust the weight to avoid sudden fluctuations and loss of shape.

In the last, fourth stage, you can eat any food, but stick to the following rules:

  • Observe a protein day once a week when eating pure protein foods
  • Get at least 20 minutes a day and cancel the elevator
  • Eat three tablespoons of bran every day

In addition to nutrition, Dr. Dukan pays close attention to physical activity. Try walking every day, as well as working out in the gym, cycling, swimming or dancing. The main thing is to move more, because physical activity helps burn calories, converts body fat into a source of useful energy and helps maintain muscle tone.

Before you start a diet, calculate your correct weight, on which the additional diet depends on Dukan.

Remember the basic rules that must be strictly observed: drink 1, 5-2 liters of water a day, move actively and eat oat bran every day.

Completely exclude fats, oils and mayonnaise from the diet, salads can be seasoned with lemon juice or soy sauce.

Steamer, grill, bake or cook food, or you can cook in a non-stick pan.

It is recommended to abstain from alcohol, sugar, french fries and fruits with high sugar content (bananas, cherries, cherries, grapes, figs).

By carefully following all the recommendations, you can lose up to 5 kg. in Week.

During the diet it is allowed to consume black, green and herbal tea, coffee, cola and Pepsi light, low-fat cocoa (1 teaspoon per day), corn starch (1 tablespoon per day), skimmed milk powder3 tablespoons per day), wheat bran (1 tablespoon), baking powder, gelatin, vanilla and cinnamon, sugar substitutes (excluding glucose, fructose and sorbitol).

Attack

So, the first stage - "Attack", lasts from 2 to 10 days (depending on the weight you would like to lose), the duration is determined using the online calculator, which we have already discussed above, for example, if there are5 extra pounds, then "Attack" lasts 2 days, 5-10 kg. - 3 days, 10-20 kg. - 5 days. At this stage, the first results of the diet are clear, weight loss is 2-6 kg. At this time, fats are actively broken down, so dry mouth and a slight odor can occur, but proponents of the diet say this is normal.

During the Attack, the strictest dietary restrictions apply and the menu for each day includes only protein products:

  • Lean beef or beef
  • Beef kidneys and liver
  • Skinless Chicken and Turkey
  • Veal or veal tongue
  • Seafood and fish
  • Low-fat ham (not recommended for consumption, as homemade ham, unlike French, is not made from natural meat, but from ingredients of dubious quality with chemical additives)
  • Low fat milk, kefir and cottage cheese
  • Onions, garlic, spices, vinegar, salt, soy sauce and spices

In the first phase it is not allowed to eat rabbit meat, pork, duck, goose. Eat 1, 5 tablespoons of oat bran every day. Eggs are allowed in limited quantities (no more than 2 yolks per day, white - as much as you want), crab sticks - no more than 8 pieces per day.

An example menu during "Attack" might look like this:

1 day

Breakfast: scrambled eggs (2 eggs and 4 tablespoons skim milk), bran bread and low-fat cottage cheese, coffee or tea

Lunch: Chicken broth

Afternoon snack: kefir

Dinner: steamed cutlets, bread

Day 2

Breakfast: bran and milk oatmeal

Lunch: ear

Afternoon snack: kefir

Dinner: chicken cutlets, tea or coffee

Day 3

Breakfast: cheesecakes, tea or coffee

Lunch: fish baked with herbs and lemon

Snack: Natural yogurt with oatmeal cake

Dinner: seafood cocktail

Late Dinner: Cottage Cheese

Day 4

Breakfast: lightly salted red fish with oatmeal, tea or coffee

Lunch: chicken breast baked in kefir

Snack: cottage cheese

Dinner: Omelet and roast beef

Late dinner: Kefir

Day 5

Breakfast: pancakes with bran with cottage cheese

Lunch: fish, mustard sauce

Snack: Natural yogurt

Dinner: Casserole with cottage cheese

6 days

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, tea or coffee

Lunch: meat soup

Snack: yogurt

Dinner: salmon fillet baked with mustard

7 days

Breakfast: casserole with cottage cheese

Lunch: ear with oatmeal bread

Snack: yogurt

Dinner: meat roasted with melted cheese

Remember that you do not need to limit yourself to the portion size, you can eat as much as you want, and a large selection of products allows you to create a menu for every taste.

On the Internet you can find many interesting recipes for cooking according to the Ducan system, here are a few of them.

Chicken Cutlets

To the minced chicken (0, 5 kg. ) add 1 raw egg and 2 boiled finely chopped eggs, salt, pepper and green onions. Fry without oil or steam.

Coffee Cream

Soft cottage cheese with low fat content - 400 grams, sugar substitute - 10 measuring spoons, coffee - 2 teaspoons, water - 50 grams. Make coffee in 50 ml. water (if soluble, just dissolves), add the sugar substitute and strain into a bowl with soft cottage cheese. Beat the table with a mixer.

Ricotta Cookies

1 egg white, low-fat ricotta cheese - 2 tbsp. spoons (or plain soft cottage cheese), oat bran - 2 tbsp, sweetener. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, put them in the form of cookies in a pan and fry on both sides or bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes. When the cookies are ready, pour the mixture of cottage cheese, sweetener and peel (vanilla, cocoa).

Cruise

During the second phase - "Cruise" or "Alternation", you will achieve the desired result, and the duration of the stage depends on how many pounds you plan to lose. As the name suggests, at this time protein days alternate with protein and vegetable days. If you need to lose less than 10 kg. Then the scheme can vary, for example, 1 day protein and 1 day - vegetables + proteins, 3 days protein and 3 days vegetables + proteins, 5 days protein and 5 days vegetables + proteins. Choose the option that is most convenient for you. But if you are overweight more than 10 pounds, then alternate 5 protein and 5 protein-vegetable days. Thanks to such a system, the metabolism is normalized, toxins, toxins, fats and salts are removed from the body.

In the second stage, you can eat as much as your heart desires, using foods from the list of allowed and adding vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, radishes, asparagus, cabbage, celery, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, beets, pepper. Do not eat potatoes, cereals and pasta, peas, corn, beans, lentils, olives, avocados and beans.

It is advisable to limit carrots and beets, as they contain sugar; it is allowed to use tomato paste for small amounts of cooking. Each day you can choose only two products from the added, to eat products from the first phase without restrictions. Another prerequisite: eat two tablespoons of oat bran daily.

The menu of the Cruise phase looks like this:

1 day

Breakfast: Herbal Omelette

Second breakfast: cottage cheese

Lunch: tuna salad (tuna, green beans, hard-boiled egg, herbs. Season with lemon juice, yogurt and pepper)

Snack: Baked Chicken Breast with Vegetable Salad

Dinner: stewed cabbage with herbs and spices, boiled beef tongue with horseradish

Day 2

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Bran Breads

Lunch: Vegetable meat soup

Afternoon snack: pancakes with bran with kefir

Dinner: grilled chicken breast with herbs and vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes)

Day 3

Breakfast: ham omelette

Lunch: hodgepodge

Afternoon snack: cottage cheese

Dinner: Roast meat with vegetable salad

Day 4

Breakfast: boiled eggs, lightly salted salmon, oatmeal bread

Lunch: Meatball and bran soup

Afternoon snack: cheesecakes

Dinner: Chicken cutlets with vegetable salad

Day 5

Breakfast: omelet and yogurt

Lunch: fish soup

Snack: cottage cheese

Dinner: Meat with roasted vegetables

Anchoring

The "Consolidation" stage (or "Consolidation") is designed to consolidate the results obtained during the first two phases and gradually return to the daily diet. Rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, vegetable oil, fruits are gradually added to the main products. Every day you should eat 2-3 tablespoons of oat bran and 3 teaspoons of honey. One day a week remains completely protein to avoid sudden weight gain. Pierre Ducan recommends protein on Thursdays, but you can choose the day based on your rhythm of life.

The duration of this stage depends on the amount of weight lost during the "Attack" and "Cruise" phases, calculated by the formula: multiply each kilogram lost by 10 days. For example, if you have lost 3 kg, then the "Cruise" should last 30 days, and if 10 kg, it will take 100 days to fix it.

Consolidation includes one fruit per day, a piece of low-fat cheese and roast lamb or pork several times a week, a portion of "starchy foods" and a "stomach feast". Divide the third stage into two equal parts: during the first part you can eat one serving of "starchy foods" (rice-120 g, 2-3 baked potatoes, buckwheat or pasta) per week and one "stomach feast" (mealwhen you can eat whatever you want within the serving). In the second part you can eat two servings a week of both.

Sample menu at this stage:

1 day

Breakfast: apple and cinnamon cheesecakes

Second breakfast: yogurt

Lunch: vegetable soup and chicken cutlets with oatmeal bread

Snack: Cheesecake

Dinner: grilled fish and vegetables

Day 2

Breakfast: roast chicken, boiled egg and yogurt

Lunch: Vegetable soup and grilled meat

Afternoon snack: cheesecakes

Dinner: roast meat with rice and vegetables

Day 3

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Bran Breads

Lunch: hodgepodge

Snack: Fruit

Dinner: fish and vegetables, glass of red wine

Day 4

Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole with berries

Lunch: oat bran soup

Snack: yogurt

Dinner: Chicken cutlets with salad

Day 5

Breakfast: pastries with cheese and coffee

Lunch: Vegetable Meatball Soup

Snack: Fruit

Dinner: Grilled meat with vegetables

Stabilization

The last phase of a stabilizing diet helps you switch to your daily diet so you don't gain weight later. During this time, your eating habits have changed completely and you will clearly know which foods to avoid and which to limit.

You can now eat everything, but don't get too carried away with flour and fatty foods, and also include as much meat and vegetables as possible in your menu. To maintain your weight, follow these rules: eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day, stick to protein on Thursdays, drink plenty of water and exercise or walk a lot. The more you exercise and pay attention to physical activity, the more likely it is that extra pounds will never appear again.

Finally, write a few more recipes for Dukan's food system:

Egg Salad

Cut the boiled eggs into cubes, mix with a finely chopped bunch of green onions, add low-calorie sour cream and the salad is ready.

Bread

2 tablespoons oat bran, 1 tablespoon wheat bran, 2 eggs, 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons kefir, a box of soft nonfat cottage cheese, 1 bag of baking powder. In a bowl, mix the starch, bran and salt everything. In another bowl, mix kefir, eggs and cottage cheese. We combine everything and put it in shape. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Hake baked in foil

Marinate the hake fillets in lemon juice, salt, add herbs, spices and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

What other options can you offer?

The group of protein diets, in addition to the Ducan diet, includes the classic French diet and the paleo diet, which Ducan himself calls a copy of his weight loss strategy.

French diet

The classic French protein diet is designed for 14 days, during which time you must strictly adhere to the menu, and deviation from the established diet is not strictly allowed. The diet is based on meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, herbs, fruits and dried rye bread. Bread and pastries, sugar, fruit juices, salt and a variety of pickles, as well as alcohol are prohibited.

The technique is quite effective and guarantees weight loss of 4-8 kg. However, like most diets, it is poorly balanced, so you do not have to stick to it for a long time. Another disadvantage of the French diet in a solid diet, which not everyone can handle. I would like to draw attention to the fact that the menu often offers the use of cooked sausage or ham and this moment provokes confusing comments in the forums.

However, it should be borne in mind that the diet came to us from France, and the quality of products, especially ham and sausages, is completely different in our country. If in France ham is made from natural meat, then we can not boast of this, so we recommend our readers to replace the sausage with natural meat.

The 7-day French diet menu looks like this:

1 day

Breakfast: black coffee

Lunch: two eggs, lettuce, tomato

Dinner: a piece of lean boiled meat (100 grams), lettuce

Day 2

Breakfast: black coffee, rye croutons

Lunch: a piece of boiled meat (100 grams)

Dinner: Salad of boiled meat and lettuce

Day 3

Breakfast: coffee and rye croutons

Lunch: one medium carrot fried in vegetable oil, 1 tomato and tangerine

Dinner: Salad with boiled meat, lettuce and two boiled eggs

Day 4

Breakfast: same as previous days

Lunch: one medium raw carrot, 100 grams of cheese and egg

Dinner: fruit and kefir

Day 5

Breakfast: one medium raw carrot with fresh juice of one lemon

Lunch: tomato and 100 g of boiled fish

Dinner: 100 g of boiled beef

6 days

Breakfast: coffee

Lunch: boiled chicken, lettuce

Dinner: boiled beef

7 days

Breakfast: green tea

Lunch: boiled beef and orange

Dinner: Chicken with lettuce

The menu from the second week repeats the presented diet or you can create your own menu from the same products only in a different combination. The introduction of new products is not allowed.

Paleo diet

This diet is also called the "cave diet", its essence is that you should eat like our distant ancestors. Before the food revolution 10, 000 years ago, people ate meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries. Then man invented agriculture and cereals and dairy products began to predominate in the diet. In the modern world, hydrogenated fats and refined sugar, flavor enhancers and colors are added to the menu.

Today, 70% of a person's calories come from foods our ancestors never imagined, so cave cave dwellers are proposing to go back to their roots and stop eating "unnatural food of their kind. "Oddly enough, research supports this theory. In 2008, scientists at Carolina University transferred a group of men and women to a Stone Age menu. In three weeks, calorie intake decreased by 35%, blood pressure decreased by 5%, and the risk of blood clots decreased by 72%.

The main feature of the paleo diet is that you can eat as much as you want, it is enough to follow that all products repeat the diet of ancient people. Interestingly, this technique does not limit the intake of the right fats and carbohydrates. The diet helps to normalize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels and helps to lose weight due to the large amount of protein and the combination of meat with vegetables and fruits.

The diet is based on all types of lean meat, fish and seafood, eggs, fruits (except dried fruits), vegetables, except potatoes and corn, nuts. All cereals should be excluded (they cause inflammation in the body), milk and dairy products (they often contain hormones due to the dishonesty of producers), flour and confectionery and fast food.

The menu for the paleo diet can be not only tasty but also useful:

Breakfast: for two servings a handful of frozen fruit, 3 handfuls of red currants, 1 teaspoon of unrefined sugar, a handful of crushed hazelnuts, 2 large pinches of jasmine tea, lemon.

Spread the red currants on a tray and sprinkle with sugar, when the sugar dissolves, transfer everything to a bowl. Put the remaining frozen fruit in a pan and put on the fire when they release the juice, add jasmine tea, pour lemon juice and stir. Pour the mixture over the red currants, sprinkle with chopped nuts and eat.

Lunch: 4 servings - 4 chicken breasts, 6 turnips, 5 small turnips, 4 peeled rutabagas, 10 small beets. Marinade: a good portion of olive oil, lime juice, 3 chopped hot peppers and 3 cloves of garlic, a pinch of coriander, cinnamon, ginger, dried parsley and oregano.

Mix the marinade ingredients and rub the chicken breasts. Put the tubers in foil and fields with butter, bake 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 220 degrees. Grill the breasts for 12 minutes (turn once). If there is not enough salt, add some cooked food.

Dinner: Mackerel with salad. For 4 servings you will need 4 mackerel, lime, olive oil. Grate fish with a mixture of mustard and olive oil, fry on each side for 5 minutes. Take a large hand of watercress, cut into it 4 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 red onion and cover with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and pepper. Serve the fish and salad beautifully and decorate with lime wedges, now you can enjoy a wonderful dinner.

What they say about the Ducan diet

Dukan's diet is very popular, actively discussed, groups and blogs are created on social networks, which publish recipes, reviews of doctors and lose weight for the diet.

Celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bündchen, Keith Middleton and American culinary expert Gina Keatley are addicted to Ducan's diet. In general, the reviews confirm the effectiveness of the diet and active weight loss, but there are also negative comments, so I would like to note once again that the diet must be followed strictly according to the rules, it is impossible to sit on it for a long time. diet leads to a number of diseases.

Often negative reviews are related to non-compliance with the rules of diet and amateur performance, so we recommend that you avoid creativity and stick to the plan. The effect of the diet on the body is individual, listen carefully to your feelings and if you think that the diet is not suitable for you, then choose another option.

There is a myth that the Ducan diet is banned in France and Europe, but in fact this is not true because the authorities cannot ban the diet. The British Association of Nutritionists in the United Kingdom (one of the oldest such organizations, founded in 1936) has repeatedly criticized the Ducan diet and called it the worst popular diet for several years.

The negative opinion of nutritionists is based on an imbalance in the diet and insufficient calories. Doctors warn that by sticking to a diet, you will face a lack of vitamins and minerals, indigestion (limited intake of vegetables and fruits) and lack of energy (low in carbohydrates). If the Ducan diet is used by a person who works actively (it does not matter whether he is engaged in mental or physical labor), then there is a significant health risk.