Has anyone done the Dukan diet?

domnut
domnut Posts: 32 Member
edited December 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

My parents and sister-in-law say the Dukan diet is awesome and they lose a lot of weight quickly. They swear by it and honestly are looking fantastic. I'm just wondering if anyone else has done it and what they've thought of it...

Is it hard to keep up? Did you feel healthy? Did you lose weight? etc etc...

Thanks!
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Replies

  • striveforhealthy
    striveforhealthy Posts: 137 Member
    Meh, just by reading about it on webmd it doesn't sound long-lasting or healthy. You might lose weight while on it but as soon as you get off I would guess your probability of gaining it back would be pretty good. Since most people probably see this as a quick fix, learn absolutely nothing about eating right, and continue their bad eating habits.
    Phase 1, the "Attack" phase, is quite simple: Eat all you want of lean protein, along with 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and 1.5 liters of water daily. That’s it. Dieters can choose from 72 lean or low-fat meats (excluding pork and lamb), fish, poultry, eggs, soy, and nonfat dairy.

    This is followed by the "Cruise" phase, which allows unlimited amounts of 28 non-starchy vegetables every other day along with a core diet of unlimited lean/low-fat protein and 2 tablespoons of oat bran. Carrots, peas, corn, and potatoes are not on this list of vegetables but appear in the next phase.

    Phase 3, "Consolidation," allows unlimited protein (including pork and lamb) and vegetables every day, along with one piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 portion of hard cheese. Dieters can also have 1-2 servings of starchy foods and 1-2 "celebration" meals (in which you can eat whatever you want) per week during this phase. In this phase, you begin the lifetime commitment of eating the core diet of pure protein one day each week, preferably the same day.

    Phase 4, "Stabilization," is the maintenance portion of the plan. The author promises you can eat whatever you like without regain if you follow his rules - one day a week, follow the same all-protein diet as in Phase 1; eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day; and walk for 20 minutes daily and never take elevators or escalators.

    Sugar-free gum, artificial sweeteners, vinegars, and spices are allowed on The Dukan Diet. The book encourages dieters to take a daily multivitamin with minerals.
    You'll certainly lose weight on The Dukan Diet because it cuts calories drastically. The lack of carbs also helps keep hunger at bay. But the bottom line, experts say, is that this eating plan does not include all the nutrients you need for good health.

    WebMD.
  • domnut
    domnut Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks for that :)

    Yeah I thought that it didn't sound good for long term weight loss but just thought I'd see what everyone else thought. Cheers!
  • AthenaErr
    AthenaErr Posts: 278 Member
    I did it twice - it didnt feel good - tho you do get used to it. I did lose weight v quickly on attack and consolidation. But I didnt manage to keep it up long enough to properly consolidate and I put everything back on and more. Dukan made me feel a bit nuts tbh. Crazy about food, bodysize etc and not in a good way.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    Heard good thing so my wife and I tried it. I lasted one morning! Literally one morning. I absolutely hated it. No energy whatsoever. A diet where they concede that you are unable to exercise has got to be bad hasn't it?
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    I did it for a week couldn't stand it. Lost no weight (but then I normally eat pretty low carb so it probably wasn't such a shock to the system). Its actually what got me here after Dukan I thought this is the last crazy diet I try thinking there is some magic solution.
    I felt so sick and by the end of the week thought I would literally vomit if I had to eat any more meat.
    It was gross.
    I will say the motivation emails you got were good and helped.
    but no, a bit of carb cycling or low carb certainly helps with weight loss but not like that!!!
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    The guy is a joke.

    You don't make people follow some mysterious diet if you want them to lose weight, you educate them.
    The guy claims it's an easy diet : you eat ad libitum proteins.

    In other words: you don't change your habits of craving, you simply target another kind of foods.
    The diet is based on the principle proteins are harder to get stored as fat, contrary to dietary fats and CHOs (TEF) - that is compensated by the ad libitum eating.

    People end up feeling bad, full of deficiencies (of course the diets doesn't seem to include supplements of micro-nutrients).
    People would simply go to the bad habits after they hit their weight

    I'm still amazed to know his books are sold in France. Dukan == poser
  • rockinsue285
    rockinsue285 Posts: 180
    four friends did the duken diet and yes theyve all lost infact in about 5 weeks 2 have lost almost 2 stone, so yes its quick, I always think when considering diets is this something I could live on for the rest of my life, if that answer is no then I personally wouldnt bother. Ive done the cabbage soup diet, lost loads but like other readers say put it all back on. Ive lost 26lb now by watching cals, fat etc, cutting out crap etc, could I eat like this forever , well yes actually I could because I do indulge in meals out, bbqs etc but then just get back on track again
  • hpsaucette
    hpsaucette Posts: 102 Member
    I tried it on the advice of a friend, she's still on it and has lost a lot of weight , altho she yo-yo's constantly whenever she gets off track. I'm a bit worried about what she'll do when she actually gets off the 'cruise' phase which lasts until you lose all the weight you want.
    It isn't for everyone, I think a lot of what it actually does is limit your calories whilst telling you its not. I felt so incredibly guilty all the time whilst I was on it in case I was doing something wrong. I don't believe it's healthy, but it did teach me the importance and difference between carbs/protein/fat and drinking lots of water as well as to be more creative with my food.

    Just reading the book put me off, there are so many spelling mistakes and the Dr. Dukan guy in France has/is being taken to court because of lots of his advice.
    If you already do it low carb, i'd have thought you already know what works for you and what this diet could offer
  • krenwren
    krenwren Posts: 136 Member
    I used it to jumpstart my weight loss and have lost 17 pounds so far. I use it more as a guideline, I am not super strict. I have drastically cut my carb intake which was helpful as carbs were and are my "gateway" drug to binge eating. I eat lots of vegies and very lean meat. My carbs come from dairy and the oatbran in the morning. I haven't felt deprived or very hungry. Try it for a few weeks if nothing else to break the carb cycle. Good luck!
  • SashaMegan
    SashaMegan Posts: 110 Member
    I'm currently doing it (started 3 weeks ago) : lost 5lbs in 2 weeks and haven't lost since (which I don't worry about because I don't have much to lose apparently, so it's slower for me).

    As different posters said:

    -It's NOT an easy diet
    -Eating loads of meat/protein, estpecially in the attack phase, can become really disgusting
    -It doesn't educate you on how to eat healthy and balanced
    -It's nutritionally unbalanced (though it gets better when you can add vegetables, and then fruit)
    -It's NOT a quick fix: yes you lose quickly but then you must continue to diet 10 days for each kilogram lost (roughly 70 days for me, which isnt long) but even after that, you need to continue being very careful about what you eat, and you shall never come back to your old eating habits again!!! Which can be good in a sense.

    I will add that what bothers me most rihgt now, is

    -- The sodium intake: I eat mostly low-fat ham because it's one of the cheapest meats in France, but I am used to eating low amounts of sodium and I feel it makes me feel sick sometimes at the end of the day.
    -- The artificial sweeteners and flavorings: This is what I hate the most!!! I don't eat any artificial flavoring, except vanilla extract (but I will switch to a natural one), and I will stop using artificial sweeteners like aspartam because during my first week (protein only) I didn' use aspartame and NEVER craved for sugar. Now that I am usingit, I often want to eat sweet food. Something's wrong then! I switched to Stevia but since it's made of polyols as well, I will drastically limit the amounts!
  • jangriffiths
    jangriffiths Posts: 8
    I haven't tried Dukan but did try Atkins a few years ago during its resurgence. Forgetting the science for a minute, I found I lost weight fast but mainly from the fact I couldn't bear to eat anymore of the unlimited meat and fat that it allows. And the side effects were gross:embarassed:

    Oh and yes it all went straight back on within a couple of months.
  • borys12
    borys12 Posts: 98
    I did phase I only. Couldn't go through meat only days, so carried on with meat / vegs everyday. Result - lost 4 stones in 7 months. I do paleo now with lots of cocnonut oil - no gain at all with crazy amount of calories :)
  • SashaMegan
    SashaMegan Posts: 110 Member
    ... and the Dr. Dukan guy in France has/is being taken to court because of lots of his advice.

    Actually he's being taken to court mostly because he made publicity and profit with his professional status as a doctor, which is forbidden in French law and medical deontology : "Medecine shall not be practiced as a business".
  • domnut
    domnut Posts: 32 Member
    wow thanks for all the feedback everyone!! You guys are awesome :happy:

    I don't think I could cut out veges completely, I think it would make me sick. Also - I have to watch my cholesterol levels anyway so I don't think this is for me.

    Keen to hear any other thoughts though :smile:
  • 000WhiteRose000
    000WhiteRose000 Posts: 266 Member
    You could end up with protein positing which is not good. If you limit your fat AND carbs how are you going to get your energy. It's probably effective as a quick fix, but that's all it is a quick fix. If you follow it long time you will be deficient in many minerals and vitamins and be unhealthy.
  • 000WhiteRose000
    000WhiteRose000 Posts: 266 Member
    Check out the paleo diet if you want veg, fruit and protein.
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
    low carbing is fairly common, it works for me (when I stick to it!)

    It depends what kinda person you are

    you'll lose weight fast when you cut out carbs, as it makes you drop a lot of water weight. It'll slow down after a week or two though.

    the first few days are very hard to get through, your body usually uses carbs for energy, but once you get over the start your energy comes back and it's fine.

    carbs aren't bad, but it is healthier to get them through vegetables, which is what the diet encourages.

    It drastically increases your protein intake, which helps stop you losing muscle as you lose weight

    For me, it can stop my carb craving. and really, who binges on meat?

    ALSO, it IS a diet for life; there are 4 phases, the 3rd introduces all the food groups back in, and the last is a simple one you follow FOR LIFE.

    Try researching it before going "oh i couldn't eat nothing but meat for my whole life" because that's not really what it's about - that's just the very first phase which only lasts 5-10 days.


    So basically, it depends on how you are. in the brain.

    If you can eat "everything in moderation", then just keep calorie counting
    If you're like me, and a crisp can set you off on the path of carby madness, then cutting carbs out altogether can help reduce cravings. It does go back to calorie restriction in the end, but it definitely is effective
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
    oh yeah, don't worry too much about fat even though he says to eat low fat, fat is good for you (but obv don't go down the atkins route of eating like a block of cheddar and packet of bacon every day)
  • DaveC29
    DaveC29 Posts: 232 Member
    Has anyone done the Dukan diet?

    I initially read the 'Dunkin' diet- Coffee and Doughnuts! I was in!!!
  • SashaMegan
    SashaMegan Posts: 110 Member
    Has anyone done the Dukan diet?

    I initially read the 'Dunkin' diet- Coffee and Doughnuts! I was in!!!

    Dang I wish I was on the Duknin' diet today!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :blushing:
  • AlexanderK1994
    AlexanderK1994 Posts: 243 Member
    My brother and his wife did it and lost a lot of weight but since they came off of it, they started to put it back on. Although I was feeling pretty horrible when my brother (who's 28 and quite tall) weighed less than me. I also tried it for a couple of times but I could never do it. Sometimes I was just like "I don't want to look at low fat cottage cheese anymore". It was way too restrictive for me. And with calorie counting I lost 10 pounds as of Wednesday so... xD
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    low carbing is fairly common, it works for me (when I stick to it!)

    It depends what kinda person you are

    you'll lose weight fast when you cut out carbs, as it makes you drop a lot of water weight. It'll slow down after a week or two though.

    the first few days are very hard to get through, your body usually uses carbs for energy, but once you get over the start your energy comes back and it's fine.

    carbs aren't bad, but it is healthier to get them through vegetables, which is what the diet encourages.

    It drastically increases your protein intake, which helps stop you losing muscle as you lose weight

    For me, it can stop my carb craving. and really, who binges on meat?

    ALSO, it IS a diet for life; there are 4 phases, the 3rd introduces all the food groups back in, and the last is a simple one you follow FOR LIFE.

    Try researching it before going "oh i couldn't eat nothing but meat for my whole life" because that's not really what it's about - that's just the very first phase which only lasts 5-10 days.


    So basically, it depends on how you are. in the brain.

    If you can eat "everything in moderation", then just keep calorie counting
    If you're like me, and a crisp can set you off on the path of carby madness, then cutting carbs out altogether can help reduce cravings. It does go back to calorie restriction in the end, but it definitely is effective

    totally true. Once you learn the guidelines, you really CAN eat a fairly normal looking diet. My biggest issue is getting enough calories in. I'm just not hungry...
  • Silverwish
    Silverwish Posts: 20
    Hi everyone,

    My parents and sister-in-law say the Dukan diet is awesome and they lose a lot of weight quickly. They swear by it and honestly are looking fantastic. I'm just wondering if anyone else has done it and what they've thought of it...

    Is it hard to keep up? Did you feel healthy? Did you lose weight? etc etc...

    Thanks!
  • Silverwish
    Silverwish Posts: 20
    Ooops sorry pressed the wrong button , I was going to post a similar thread as I saw a friend yesterday who was raving about it. I had heard of it but never looked into it . I will be very interested to read peoples views etc .....
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    oh yeah, don't worry too much about fat even though he says to eat low fat, fat is good for you (but obv don't go down the atkins route of eating like a block of cheddar and packet of bacon every day)

    I've never eaten a block of cheese and a pack of bacon a day on Atkins :D a sample atkins diet looks like this for me:

    Breakfast--2 eggs, 2 slices of soy bacon, 1 low carb/high fiber tortilla, a slice of cheese ( provolone or something similar)

    Lunch--big salad--3 cups romaine, sliced cucumbers, mushrooms, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, 4 ounces of protein ( grilled chicken, shaved turkey, shaved roast beef, etc) with normal dressing

    dinner--4oz slice of meatloaf, 2 cups steamed veggies

    snacks--atkins meal bars, summer sausage with melted brie, wheat thins flatbreads with laughing cow and olives...stuff like that.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    From the WebMD site: Skip this fad diet. Instead, choose a calorie-controlled eating plan that you can stick with for the long term.

    So for me it's another fad diet and I've been there and done that too many times to count. So, I'll stick with a calorie-controlled eating plan like I am doing now.

    The last fad diet I did ended up with me in the hospital with irregular heartbeat, etc.
  • LadyKT
    LadyKT Posts: 287 Member
    oh yeah, don't worry too much about fat even though he says to eat low fat, fat is good for you (but obv don't go down the atkins route of eating like a block of cheddar and packet of bacon every day)

    I've never eaten a block of cheese and a pack of bacon a day on Atkins :D a sample atkins diet looks like this for me:

    Breakfast--2 eggs, 2 slices of soy bacon, 1 low carb/high fiber tortilla, a slice of cheese ( provolone or something similar)

    Lunch--big salad--3 cups romaine, sliced cucumbers, mushrooms, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, 4 ounces of protein ( grilled chicken, shaved turkey, shaved roast beef, etc) with normal dressing

    dinner--4oz slice of meatloaf, 2 cups steamed veggies

    snacks--atkins meal bars, summer sausage with melted brie, wheat thins flatbreads with laughing cow and olives...stuff like that.


    THANK YOU!!! As an Atkins-er, I have to say there are so many common misconceptions about the plan. Pisses me off how uneducated people are about it. It's pretty much paleo w/ dairy and no nuts or fruit (in the beginning...you can have them later on, but I choose not to).
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    From the WebMD site: Skip this fad diet. Instead, choose a calorie-controlled eating plan that you can stick with for the long term.

    So for me it's another fad diet and I've been there and done that too many times to count. So, I'll stick with a calorie-controlled eating plan like I am doing now.

    The last fad diet I did ended up with me in the hospital with irregular heartbeat, etc.

    smart idea! I never considered cutting carbs until 7 years ago when I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic/insulin resistant. My doctor advised me to cut down to 50g of net carbs a day to see if I could reverse my insulin issues without medication. I did reverse my insulin resistance, dropped 20 pounds and got pregnant--all in about 8 weeks. I have gained about 70 pounds in the last 7 years due to other issues, so I decided to go back to my low carb to lose it...
  • Jo2926
    Jo2926 Posts: 489 Member
    I've done dukan, and it worked for me for a while. The attack phase is hard, but the second phase adds back in veg in unlimited quantities every other day so is much more manageable. You also have daily oat bran so you can make porridge, or pancakes, or bread with it.

    By the third phase you are on unlimited protein, fat free diary, veg with additional extras like cheese, bread and a couple of meals a week where you eat exactly as you like. Unlimited sounds bad, but as has already been said binging on meat is quite hard!

    IN the end for me I changed my way of thinking but I couldn't stick to rigidness of the second phase for long enough to loose all my weight. I do find i still prioritise protein. LF Dairy and veg in my diet though and it gives me good results.

    The basic fact is any diet can be unhealthy - or you can follow it as its meant and it be healthy. You could be on a calorie controlled diet and eat just chocolate cake. But that would be as silly as being on Dukan and eating just steak or atkins and eating just cheese.
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
    I switched to Stevia but since it's made of polyols as well, I will drastically limit the amounts!

    Where did you get this info? To my knowledge, stevia is *not* a polyol... Just wondering what your source is, because I'd like to read it, since I do use stevia.
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