The Dukan Method?! Lose weight fast W/O starving yourself!

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rebelchief
rebelchief Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone heard of this?

I just learned about it today... anyone tried it or want to share their input?
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Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Eat less than TDEE. Lose weight.
  • rebelchief
    rebelchief Posts: 37 Member
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    Eat less than TDEE. Lose weight.
    Care to elaborate?
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Eat less than TDEE. Lose weight.
    Care to elaborate?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • Celeigh12
    Celeigh12 Posts: 763 Member
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    All diets are really just variations on eating at a calorie deficit. Any of them could work, the trick is finding one that is something that doesn't feel like a punishment so you have a better chance of sticking with it. When the Dukan diet was at the height of its popularity, I read an overview of it and decided pretty quickly it would make me miserable long term. But to each his own!
  • Marquism123
    Marquism123 Posts: 152 Member
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    The Dukan diet is nonsense. Essentially it involves eating only lean protein and very limited quantities vegetables, with a daily helping of oatbran. All dressed up in a terribly complicated method of differing phases but ultimately it amounts to a very low calorie diet. End of. You try cutting all fat and carbs from your diet and see if you even manage to hit 1000 cals a day. It will work but it works because you are half starving yourself and for no other reason. There is absolutely no scientific or medical basis to the method and it has been widely discredited.

    If it's not clear, I'm not a fan of Dr Dukan.
  • misssiri
    misssiri Posts: 335 Member
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    Eat less than TDEE. Lose weight.
    Care to elaborate?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    This for sure. Why go on a "diet" when you don't have to?
  • rebelchief
    rebelchief Posts: 37 Member
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    The Dukan diet is nonsense. Essentially it involves eating only lean protein and very limited quantities vegetables, with a daily helping of oatbran. All dressed up in a terribly complicated method of differing phases but ultimately it amounts to a very low calorie diet. End of. You try cutting all fat and carbs from your diet and see if you even manage to hit 1000 cals a day. It will work but it works because you are half starving yourself and for no other reason. There is absolutely no scientific or medical basis to the method and it has been widely discredited.

    If it's not clear, I'm not a fan of Dr Dukan.
    Okay, this was just what I was looking for.

    Thanks everyone!
  • Marquism123
    Marquism123 Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    The Dukan diet is nonsense. Essentially it involves eating only lean protein and very limited quantities vegetables, with a daily helping of oatbran. All dressed up in a terribly complicated method of differing phases but ultimately it amounts to a very low calorie diet. End of. You try cutting all fat and carbs from your diet and see if you even manage to hit 1000 cals a day. It will work but it works because you are half starving yourself and for no other reason. There is absolutely no scientific or medical basis to the method and it has been widely discredited.

    If it's not clear, I'm not a fan of Dr Dukan.
    Okay, this was just what I was looking for.

    Thanks everyone!

    I heard the hype, read the book and gave it a go. I survived the 4 days necessary on the "attack" phase, during which time I was allowed to eat lean protein,1 serving oatbran, 2 x yogurts daily (sugar and fat free). That was it!!!!! I was STARVING, dizzy and disoriented for most of it. Worst 4 days of my life! Never again
  • vwpyland
    vwpyland Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm sure there are different approaches to everything. However, my experience with the Dukan diet is that it is NOT a starvation diet. Of course any diet would be a starvation diet if you deprived yourself. I am re-doing the Attack phase and am on Day 2. I am not new to low-carb eating, and I am drinking loads of water. I'm sure these things help. Yesterday I was never hungry, I ate almost 1300 calories, but could have eaten more if I had wanted. I did consume 146 grams of protein--all from real food. Between the high protein diet and the loads of water, I lost 3.4 lbs in these 2 days. My last Attack phase that I did, I lost 8 lbs in those 4 days. I absolutely do not agree with the entire philosophy behind the Dukan diet--primarily the emphasis on No/Low Fat, and the encouragement of artificial sweeteners. Perhaps they are updating these ideas. I just follow the diet to the degree that my intuition allows. I do follow the general framework, but try to include good fats, although very modestly at this time. I will increase those as things progress. Things I do like about this diet: 1. I never lose weight, but this seems to work for me. 2. It emphasizes eating real food, not bars and shakes. 3. No calorie counting or points! 4. I don't see grains as a necessity, and I have no problem "fasting" from them for an extended period of time (no problem philosophically, not practically, as that's why I'm starting over!) 5. Will easily lead to a moderate slow-carb lifestyle in the long-run. Anyway, just thought I would throw out a different experience.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
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    The Dukan diet is nonsense. Essentially it involves eating only lean protein and very limited quantities vegetables, with a daily helping of oatbran. All dressed up in a terribly complicated method of differing phases but ultimately it amounts to a very low calorie diet. End of. You try cutting all fat and carbs from your diet and see if you even manage to hit 1000 cals a day. It will work but it works because you are half starving yourself and for no other reason. There is absolutely no scientific or medical basis to the method and it has been widely discredited.

    If it's not clear, I'm not a fan of Dr Dukan.
    Okay, this was just what I was looking for.

    Thanks everyone!

    I heard the hype, read the book and gave it a go. I survived the 4 days necessary on the "attack" phase, during which time I was allowed to eat lean protein,1 serving oatbran, 2 x yogurts daily (sugar and fat free). That was it!!!!! I was STARVING, dizzy and disoriented for most of it. Worst 4 days of my life! Never again

    Wow that sounds awful
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I'm sure there are different approaches to everything. However, my experience with the Dukan diet is that it is NOT a starvation diet. Of course any diet would be a starvation diet if you deprived yourself. I am re-doing the Attack phase and am on Day 2. I am not new to low-carb eating, and I am drinking loads of water. I'm sure these things help. Yesterday I was never hungry, I ate almost 1300 calories, but could have eaten more if I had wanted. I did consume 146 grams of protein--all from real food. Between the high protein diet and the loads of water, I lost 3.4 lbs in these 2 days. My last Attack phase that I did, I lost 8 lbs in those 4 days. I absolutely do not agree with the entire philosophy behind the Dukan diet--primarily the emphasis on No/Low Fat, and the encouragement of artificial sweeteners. Perhaps they are updating these ideas. I just follow the diet to the degree that my intuition allows. I do follow the general framework, but try to include good fats, although very modestly at this time. I will increase those as things progress. Things I do like about this diet: 1. I never lose weight, but this seems to work for me. 2. It emphasizes eating real food, not bars and shakes. 3. No calorie counting or points! 4. I don't see grains as a necessity, and I have no problem "fasting" from them for an extended period of time (no problem philosophically, not practically, as that's why I'm starting over!) 5. Will easily lead to a moderate slow-carb lifestyle in the long-run. Anyway, just thought I would throw out a different experience.

    If it were such a good plan, you would not need to be starting over, full stop.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Dukan is nothing but a fad diet

    You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight. Find your TDEE, take a cut off of that and there ya go. No need for diets that cause you to eat a certain way.

    Unless you are going to eat that way forever it's a wate of time and energy.
  • vwpyland
    vwpyland Posts: 6 Member
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    I am surprised by how cut and dry everything seems in these replies. I guess it is good to know that everyone else knows exactly how to lose weight, and are having 100% success with that. Guess that's why we are all here, right, because we have it all figured out? LOL! I was just sharing my experience, as it seemed that was what the OP was asking for. And as for starving... nope, not me!
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    And 'Dr' Dukan is a doctor no more... he volunteered to be struck off last year due to dubious advice he was giving.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    the issues with fad diets like this is simple. What are you planning to do with the next 30, 40, 50 years of your life AFTER you're done with this diet?

    Any kind of "diet" doesn't give you the tools to eat well in the long run, which is why people who embark on diets like this typically gain back all the weight they've lost.
  • vwpyland
    vwpyland Posts: 6 Member
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    the issues with fad diets like this is simple. What are you planning to do with the next 30, 40, 50 years of your life AFTER you're done with this diet?

    Any kind of "diet" doesn't give you the tools to eat well in the long run, which is why people who embark on diets like this typically gain back all the weight they've lost.

    I completely understand that mentality. In the short term, this type of structure allows me to gain control of my sugar addiction and ease back into moderate eating--as opposed to the rampant free-for-all I was in over the holidays. I understand that by and large, most might be leery of such extreme options, but for me personally I see little difference between what I am currently doing, and a Whole30 (which I have done), or fasting, or any other period of rigidity to "pull back on the reins" so to speak.

    A period of extreme structure does provide me the tools to regain control. Since I realistically acknowledge that I have addictive tendencies, I am using the tools that aid me to get back up and start over. I think of it much like an alcoholism. I'm in rehab right now, and there ain't nothing gradual about it! =) I have to strip it all away and slowly add things back while maintaining self-control. And if I become out of control again in 6 months, then I will start over to get that control back. I don't see that as fad or yo-yo dieting. It is how I cope with my sugar addiction.

    Regardless of whether Dukan is a quack or Atkins died of a heart attack (not to say I believe either), I personally believe there is truth behind their methods. But, I am a fan of Gary Taubes and Sally Fallon. I am probably not in the right place here. For those who say it is "proven" that Dukan's methods don't work, I answer that those are the same people who have "proven" that low-fat, high-carb foods are good for us.
  • Santhony79
    Santhony79 Posts: 3
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    Agree with you vwpyland - a little harsh, I enjoy this diet to a certain degree adn have always had success with it when I stick with it! I am just doing a restart on the Dukan and was wondering if anyone has any feedback on using spices etc - I am using alot of dried herbs and small amounts of onion and garlic and broth so that I can successfully stay on this this time - does anyone else do this, is it possible I am going to screw it up with too much salt/sodium? I have the British version of the book so I am not 100% sure what changes there are in the American version. Well day 1, if anyone has any awesome Attack recipes to make the next 7 days more bearable I welcome then!
  • vwpyland
    vwpyland Posts: 6 Member
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    Santhony79, I would be happy to share tips with you, but I don't think this is the right thread. Feel free to start one, and I will try to chime in.
  • WhoTheHellIsBen
    WhoTheHellIsBen Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Check it out! Last night I made home made mac n cheese with bacon bits stuffed jalapeno meatloaf wrapped in apple cider cured BACON!! It...was...epic!!!!

    BACONLoaf_zps388e4620.jpg
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Check it out! Last night I made home made mac n cheese with bacon bits stuffed jalapeno meatloaf wrapped in apple cider cured BACON!! It...was...epic!!!!

    BACONLoaf_zps388e4620.jpg

    lol

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