Dukan it out !!! - The Dukan Diet

Gabby215

Hey Dukanites!

So I think we're all ladies here so I'm just going to ask - how do you guys stick to the plan during TOM? I'm coming up on my first period on Dukan (next week but usually the week before is when I really feel lousy) and all I want to do is eat bread! I almost caved this morning and had a bagel - but I didn't! I have been going strong for 2 weeks and am down 7 pounds so I obviously don't want to undo my hard work but I am feeling way more cravings now because of TOM. Do you have any tricks/special ways of coping during this annoying time??? xx

Erin_26

Hi Gabby,

I crave comfort foods through my TOM as well, so I treat myself to a bit more f.f. cottage cheese or f.f. s.f. yogurt instead. It is very challenging, though. Maybe if you're cravings carbs terribly, have an extra serving of oat bran. You are allowed in times of 'crisis'.

monicalynn89

I am on my second week on the Dukan Diet & have lost 8 lbs so far! Mind you, I haven't been as faithful to it as I should be, so I'm VERY happy with the results so far! I started last Monday 7/25 & cheated JUST A LITTLE during the week. When the weekend came, I completely screwed up! We had all our kids (my one & my fiance's 3) that weekend & took them to a theme park on Saturday. Needless to say, with the chaos of 4 children at a theme park, I just couldn't discipline myself. I even had cheese fries form the Outback during our trip back home (a MAJOR no-no, obviously!). I started following it closer this past Monday 8/1 & have found this week to be a breeze! The only craving I had that I couldn't resist this week was ice cream, so I've had just a little orange sherbert the past 3 evenings....like BARELY skimming the top, little bites. It cured my craving & was the lowest calorie way to splurge that I could find in the ice cream case. I read about this diet in First Magazine & it was a great article that broke everything down in very easy-to-understand details. It even had some recipes that I'm loving! There's an egg roll-up that is YUMMY & I'm a big fan of the oat bran mixed with my yogurt. I'm not a good dieter & I think the simplicity of it is what's helping me. There aren't a lot of food choices, but that is easier for me because I don't have to count points or think hard about what I can & can't eat. My life is way too busy to have to stress about my calorie intake! I am engaged & getting married on 9/3/11 & this is my post-wedding attempt to feel better! I definately feel WAY better & healthier....looking better everyday too! We are going to Jamaica for a week after our wedding, however, & I will be WAY off the diet wagon when I get back....will probably have to start all over again!!!! LOL!

JulieThielen

I am doing a do over also. I am starting day 3. As of this morning I've lost 5 pounds.

JulieThielen

When I crave ice cream I put ff milk a few ice cubes and sf chocolate syrup in the blender. It makes a nice shake that helps with the craving.

missvics

Bump.....just starting to check this out

Erin_26

Hi everyone, just checking in.

Miss Vics - welcome! This is for anyone who has questions about the Dukan Diet, by Dr. Pierre Dukan or is currently using this book/diet to lose weight and wants to talk about it.

I was doing a do-over because I messed up last Sun/Mon. So I did Attack up to last night when I decided to have some asparagus and move to Phase 2. So today, I will start PV because I only had a few stalks last night. I miss veggies! Currently steaming some broccoli and carrots, mmmmm!

Hope you are all well .. Take care!

hbunting86

Hi I'm thinking of checking this out...

I've been on the Dukan site (I'm over in NZ) and according to the calculator I need to do that attack phase for 3 days.

What can you eat in the attack phase and also quantities? I can't afford the book (poor student *sob*) but for me this seems a do-able diet and something to give me a kickstart as I've plateaued...

Any help would be appreciated!

H

hbunting86

Hi I'm thinking of checking this out...

I've been on the Dukan site (I'm over in NZ) and according to the calculator I need to do that attack phase for 3 days.

What can you eat in the attack phase and also quantities? I can't afford the book (poor student *sob*) but for me this seems a do-able diet and something to give me a kickstart as I've plateaued...

Any help would be appreciated!

H

hhan

I was on the Dukan Diet for approx 8 months. Lost a LOT of weight, 40 lbs in 8 weeks and another 40 pounds over the next 4 months. Then the weightloss stalled, not just a plateau, this lasted for about 3 months.

It is one hell of a long time to go without fruits and carbs, and I went off it in the end. Happy to say that the only weight gain I experienced was low enough to most likely be water weight which was to be expected, but I seriously believe the Dukan Diet is not one that can or should be followed long term. My mother and two sisters also went on the Dukan Diet and between us we lost over 300lbs in 6-8 months. Unfortunately for my mother it came at the cost of very high cholesterol that she is now having to have medication for. Her doctor said her medical tests also indicate that she has had a mild heart attack, but fortunately not severe enough to have caused any major long term damage. She is no longer allowed to follow the Dukan Diet.

I've now switched over to the 17 Day Diet and not only has the weight started dropping off again, but I also get to eat loads of veggies plus two fruit serves every single day. Plus there will be breads and grains introduced in the cyclical pattern.

By all means try Dukan for a while, it was the best thing I ever did for myself, but maybe start researching alternative diets for the longer term. You will stall on Dukan (everyone I know that has followed it has), and you'll need to have another strategy ready to shake things up without gaining weight because Dukan doesn't give you one until you reach maintenance weight.

Edit to Add: While you are out shopping for all that lean meat you'll be consuming, stock up on some extra strong laxatives ... you WILL be needing them. With veggies only every second day, no fruit and no grains until you reach your maintenance weight, you'll be eating nothing that promotes a healthy digestive system.

Erin_26

Hi HBunting - www.thedukandietsite.com or www.dukandiet.com will give you all the information you should need to follow this diet w/o the book. Good luck!

Hhan - Thanks for your input. I'm sorry it wasn't the diet for you. I can't say if it will work for me long-term, but as you are able to add starches and carbs in Phase 3, I don't think I'll have a problem. And YES, definitely Metamucil is my friend!!

I started 1 month and 2 days ago and have lost 13 lbs since. I have no ups and downs from carb crashes and I always feel full and satisfied after my meals, so I can't complain as of yet!

Glad you are finding a way that works for you.

hhan

Hhan - Thanks for your input. I'm sorry it wasn't the diet for you. I can't say if it will work for me long-term, but as you are able to add starches and carbs in Phase 3, I don't think I'll have a problem. And YES, definitely Metamucil is my friend!!

I never said it "Wasn't the diet" for me. In fact I credit it for enormous weight loss. What I am saying is that LONG TERM it is not a good diet to be on. For those with a lot of weight to lose it is nutritionally very poor. I found it super easy to follow, but it saps you of energy so physically you become quite weak, and exercise beyond the walking he suggests is almost impossible.

I probably know a dozen people who've used the Dukan Diet to drop weight quickly, but all of them have similar criticisms. Dropping the carbs so drastically makes you tire easily, and affects your ability to think clearly. When Cycle 3 is basically 6+ months down the dieting track for those with lots to lose, it is a long time to be starving your body of of the carbs it needs to function normally. All I am suggesting is that those who hang their weightloss hopes on this diet should research other alternatives to have as a back up plan, because at some stage the fact that you will be starving yourself of basic body (and brain) building foods WILL eventually catch up with you.

Erin_26

That makes a lot of sense, thanks hhan.

I have 31 lbs to lose, so I am hoping it won't take longer than 3.5 months. I am definitely looking forward to Phase 3. I definitely would not enjoy doing Phase 2 for 6mths or longer.

Although it is a 'diet' book, I would like to use it as a new way of living life because I am tired of yo-yoing post-baby. In your opinion, is that achievable with Phase 3 and 4?

hhan

I have 31 lbs to lose, so I am hoping it won't take longer than 3.5 months. I am definitely looking forward to Phase 3. I definitely would not enjoy doing Phase 2 for 6mths or longer.

Although it is a 'diet' book, I would like to use it as a new way of living life because I am tired of yo-yoing post-baby. In your opinion, is that achievable with Phase 3 and 4?

I'm not sure what is do-able with the last part of the diet because I only know one person that managed to get to their "true weight" while following Dukan and I honestly don't know how true she stayed to the diet. I suspect she cheated towards the end because she was also doing daily curcuit training and most of the people I know couldn't keep that up on the diet due to lack of energy. The last 15lb or so is always the hardest to lose and everyone I know stalled at about 15lbs from "true weight", however they all had far more than 30lb to begin with when they started.

In my case I needed to start re-introducing carbohydrate rich food because I simply didn't have the energy to perform normal daily routines anymore. I still had the muscle (thanks to all the protien) but I would find myself yelling at my body because I'd need to eg lift that axe to split some wood, and I physically was unable to do so. For me that was the turning point and the time I realised I needed to balance my eating out more.

I will say that the 8 months that I followed the diet with very little straying from the path, that I did change my way of thinking about food, and provided that you do that then it should set you up well for life. I certainly believe it has done that for me without what would have been a 500+ day cycle 3 which I believe would have been uneccessary. I am now just 8lb away from my initial "true weight" goal and very much looking forward to having grains next week on my new eating regime.

Good luck to all you Dukan Dieters, just ensure you listen to the messages your body sends you, it is sending those messages for a reason and you should listen to you body.

Erin_26

Thanks again, hhan.

I do find myself lacking energy at certain afternoon times. I have some extra egg whites, usually, which helps. But boy, would I love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!!

Only 16 more pounds and I will have a celebration meal! Hooray!

OrganicSplendor

I get it at wholefoods in the grain isle, where you can self serve as much as you want.

Erin_26

Thanks, Organic. How are you finding the Dukan Diet? Successful?

clipsychic

Thanks for starting this thread Erin!

I'm on my 7th day (1st day on the cruise phase) and seeing great results. I started with 15 lbs to drop and I am down 5 within the last week. After reading the entire thread (your experience particularly) I'm a little worried. In a couple of days I leave for a 4-day road trip with my friends. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to stay on course with my diet but nervous that if I do stray a little bit my efforts will be flushed down the drain.

I'm really crossing my fingers on this one. I'll let y'all know the results.

Erin_26

Hi ClipsyChic,

If you can, I would suggest bringing a cooler and stocking it with your proteins and veggies. It is definitely crucial to have the choices you want at hand. I certainly get panicked if I don't have "my stuff" with me at work or out on day trips.

What a great head-start!!! Don't you love the power of the Attack phase? It's such a wonderful motivator!


I have been at the same weight for a few days, trying to drop my sodium significantly and that is helping. I have lost 17 lbs since July 9 and have 16 to go.

I can't WAIT for Phase 3!

JulieSue

can you find the Oat Bran at Krogers or WM??? soo I can mix it with FF yogurt??? and thats how I can get my Oat Bran in??? I bought some lean meats (crab leg, shrimp, chicken, ham, turkey) to have at work with some FF Cottage Cheese!!! I plan to hard boil some eggs and then at home do more of the fish and grilled chicken and tuna etc!! any suggestions would be great!!!! I am soo not good at dieting but I want to do this and make a change!!! I hate myself and want to begin to enjoy life!!! I love running so I am hoping to pick that back up!!! but my will power is hard and I am a condiment *kitten* (says my fiancee LOL) soo we shall see!!!!

How long should I stay on the attack phase???

any tips would be nice!!!!