Should You Try The Dukan Diet?
Doctor Pierre Dukan, a physician from France is responsible for developing the Dukan Diet through his experience With patients suffering from obesity and overweight issues. The Dukan Diet is a low fat, low carbohydrate, and high protein diet.
Calculation Of True Weight
Dr. Dukan insists on calculating an individual’s true weight, which is the weight achieved without struggling, compromising on mod and health and which can be maintained easily throughout life. It takes into consideration a number of things including age, gender, current weight, target weight, highest and lowest weight ever been, heredity, frame size, number of diets initially performed and number of pregnancies, for women. This is followed by an introduction to the four phases of the Dukan Diet.
The Four Phases Of The Diet
1. Attack:
This phase can last depending on the target weight. This phase includes pure proteins and 68 protein sources are included in this phase, right from lean meats to vegetarian proteins. This phase creates ketosis where the production of ketone bodies takes place through fat burning and helps achieve maximum weight loss.
2. Cruise:
It claims to reduce body fat while maintaining lean body mass With a weight loss of 11b per three days. This phase allows an additional 32 non-starchy vegetables apart from the previously introduced proteins. The ‘Attack’ and ‘Cruise’ phase are often alternatively practiced in this phase. There is also an exercise recommendation.
3. Consolidation:
This phase allows for gradual re-introduction of starchy foods and aims at preventing rebound weight gain. Although fruits, starchy foods, and delete are allowed, the Attack plan still continues once in every week.
4. Stabilization:
This is the maintenance phase where physicians and nutritionists guide the patient on continued weight maintenance.
Pros
- Weight loss
- No counting of calories
- Unlimited intake of food allowed in phases
- Natural food is ingested
- Strict no to packet foods
Cons
- Does not believe in energy balance
- Does not include all food groups
- Deficiencies may arise
- Does not improve medical conditions
A diet that restricts one or more food groups or promotes the consumption of only one food group/nutrient, is defined as a fad diet. Hence, the Dukan Diet is a popular fad diet, And though it can definitely provide temporary results, it is not a diet that can be practiced for the rest of your life.
So, a holistic approach of gradual weight loss through energy deficit, exercise and taking individual lifestyles into consideration is the way forward.