Everyone heard at least once in their lifetime about the Dukan Diet and its mesmerizing effects upon the human body. Yet, this diet is quite difficult to understand and if you don’t have a motivation to keep you going it will be complicated to keep track of everything you eat. Even though it is definitely worth the effort, you will have to put your heart and soul into it and make a true way of living out of it, instead of seeing it as a simple diet that you can follow from time to time. Here are the phases of the Dukan Diet:
Attack
In this first stage, the Dukan Diet should contain only proteins. The attack phase implies triggering the body to fight against excess weight. Its duration varies depending on the number of pounds you desire to lose as follows:
- 11 pounds – the attack will take place over a period of maximum two days
- 20 – 25 pounds – the attack should take place over a period of three days
- 35 – 40 pounds – the attack will last no more than five days
- Over 40 pounds – the attack should take about ten days
There are certain foods you are allowed to eat:
- Red meat
- White meat
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Milk
It is difficult to predict how much weight you will lose during this phase because each body is unique and responds differently. However, people who previously tried Dukan lost up to 20 pounds only during this phase. Each body reacts in its own rhythm, considering your personal goals and requirements.
Cruise
In the cruise phase, there are two types of main regimes to follow: protein (as in the attack phase) and vegetables. These two regimes should be alternated every five days. The tolerated aliments during this phase are:
- Protein – exactly the aliments consumed in the attack phase
- Vegetables (tomatoes, green salad, asparagus, radishes, cucumber, spinach, eggplants, etc.) except corn, potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, etc.
Vegetables should be consumed in a natural state, but they also can be steamed without adding any additional elements like salt. There are no limits in consuming vegetables, but you should not exaggerate. Pay attention to how much water you consume daily. This phase could take up to six months to complete.
Consolidation
In the first two stages, the aim was to lose weight. The third phase is targeted at maintaining what you’ve already achieved. The body tends to gain weight if you desire to return to a normal diet. Thus, this intermediate stage has as the main purpose the gradual introduction of new foods in your alimentation. The duration will be fixed to ten days for each pound lost. If you lose ten pounds, the consolidation phase will take 100 days. At this stage, you will be able to consume proteins and vegetables at any given time, plus one serving of fruit per day, one serving of cheese and two slices of bread.
Stabilization
Once you find yourself in the stabilization phase, your body is no longer defensive to losing weight. This is the final stage of the diet that will introduce the Dukan Diet as your lifestyle which will be permanently followed.
