This is the first phase of the Dukan diet. It is very extreme. By the third or fourth day you will want to convert to vegetarianism. It was particularly difficult for me because I do not eat red meat.
Because you are restricting almost all carbs, your body will quickly shed several pounds. But remember that the weight loss is mainly water weight. I don't think the first phase of these low carb diets are intended for real weight loss but more to help the body curb carb and sweet cravings. The bonus is that for most people, it provides a psychological boost to kick start a new diet program. The downside is that once you're done with this phase, weight loss will slow down.
If you think about it, 1 pound equals 3,500 calories. If you do the math, you will have to cut 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound a week. You either have to burn 500 extra calories per day and eat the same amount or cut out 500 calories and stay at the same activity level.
Here's an article explaining the rapid weight loss experienced on low carb diets. http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19058097.php During low and restricted carb dieting, the body is using up its glycogen reserves and since glycogen molecules are usually attached to water molecules, the water is released from the body. Once you start eating carbs again, your body will quickly start restocking the glycogen stores and the weight will return. If you notice in the course of a few days, you've put back on 5 pounds, don't panic because it is unlikely you binged and ate 17,500 calories in the few days especially since you've probably been eating fewer calories as a result of dieting.
So do I recommend the Dukan diet in the long term? I would have to say no. The first phase is so drastic and you're eating basically just lean meat, eggs, and fat free cheeses. That's not enough to sustain your body. But I think it serves it purpose to kick start your diet and curb your carb cravings. The same water weight loss can be achieved on Phase 1 of the South Beach diet and it is not nearly as drastic. Read more about Phase 1 of South Beach here.
As I am writing this, I'm starting day 5 (and last day) of the Dukan diet Attack phase. The nice thing is that 5 days is pretty quick compared to the two weeks of Phase 1 of South Beach. But keep in mind that Phase 2 (the Cruise Phase) of Dukan is pretty much a stricter version of Phase 1 of South Beach.
For me, I've decided to kick start my diet with 5 days of Dukan Phase 1 and then instead of going to Dukan Phase 2, I will transition to 9 days of South Beach Phase 1 -- giving me a total of 14 days of restricted carbs.
So now details on Phase 1.
How long should I stay on the Attack Phase? This depends on how much weight you are planning on losing. Below is the guideline:
Less than 20 pounds -- 3 days
20-40 pounds -- 5 days
More than 40 pounds -- 7 to 10 days
Here's the list of allowable foods. I will insert some of my favorite items next to the list. I find that with working full-time, it's a lot easier to rely on easy to prepare items.
Meat and Offal:
Beef Steak
Filet of beef
Sirloin Steak
Roast Beef
Rump Steak
Tongue
Bresaola (air dried beef)
Veal escalope
Kidney
Calf's liver
Veal Chop
Cooked ham slices (no fat, no rind)
Cooked chicken and turkey slices (no fat, no rind)
Fat reduced bacon
Game - Venison, pheasant, partridge, grouse
Rabbit/Hare
Fish:
Dab/Lemon sole
Dover sole
Fish roe - Cod, Salmon, Herring, Mullet
Cod
Grey Mullet
Hake
Halibut
Haddock
Monkfish
Mackerel
Plaice
Pollock/Coley
Rainbow Trout/Salmon Trout
Salmon
Sardines
Red Mullet
Sea Bass
Skate
Sea bream
Smoked Salmon
Swordfish
Tuna
Whiting
Turbot
Seafood:
Clams
Cockles
Calamari/Squid
Crayfish
Lobster
Dublin Bay prawns
Mediterranean prawns/ Gambas
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
Whelks
Prawns
Seafood sticks - surimi
Shrimp
Poultry:
Chicken livers
Chicken
Guinea Fowl
Ostrich
Poussin
Pigeon
Quail
Turkey
Eggs:
Hen's eggs -- It's a good thing I like eggs. I medium boil it and eat it with salt & pepper.
Quail's eggs
Virtually Fat-Free Dairy Products:
Skim milk
Virtually fat-free quark
Virtually fat-free fromage frais
Virtually fat-free cottage cheese
Fat-free greek yogurt -- Fage Total is great if you can eat it alone. I find it helps to sprinkle on some sugar free Jell-O powder.
Fat Free natural yoghurt (plain or no-sugar sweetener only) -- I found that Dannon makes a Carb & Sugar Control yogurt under it's Light & Fit line. I believe the only flavor is Vanilla Cream.
(Since we do not have quark or fromage frais in the US (and since I hate cottage cheese), I ate low fat cheeses such as cheddar and colby jack. Another tasty item is Laughing Cow brand flavored Swiss cheese wedges.)
Vegetable Protein:
Tofu -- When you get tired of meat and eggs, this is a welcomed change. That is if you like tofu to begin with. I'm Asian so we grew up eating lots of tofu.
The last thing to remember to eat is your 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran.
The last thing to remember to eat is your 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran.
The diet says there's not restriction on the amount you can eat but I advise starting you diet off with counting your calories and try to reduce it each day. To calculate how much you need to reduce your calories each day, take the number of pounds, multiply by 3,500 and then divide by 7. That's the number of calories you will need to reduce each day in order to lose that many pounds a week. For the average person, 1 to 2 pounds is a reasonable amount. You can use an online food tracker to help with this. There are several out there. Some even have a scanner option where you can use you iPhone of other smart phone to scan the bar code of your food. I use Lose It! because it is compatible with an activity monitor called FitBit. I can log foods online or with my IPhone. The only problem with these food tracker programs is that some of the database information is incorrect so verify the information on your food label.
