The Dukan Diet and LittleMissMoffett

Recently I was starting to feel at the heavier end of my happy weight range - now don't get me wrong I am in no way saying I am overweight but I believe each and everyone one has a range in which we are happy in and I was starting to feel at the heavier end of mine. Now I am a healthy and active person but I was aware that I had slipped into a few bad habits - something sweet after eating, eating cereal for dinner followed by reaching for something sweet, grabbing the sweet food instead of taking the time to make a healthy snack/meal - so I decided something had to be done to break this cycle I found myself in!!

A couple of weeks ago I read a really good article on the Dukan Diet which caught my attention - the food looked good, the phases manageable and easy to follow and for me because of the flexibility in what you can eat while following the diet was a key for me - I am not a dieter I have only dieted once in my life and that was to lose the weight I gained after I had Luke nearly 10 years ago.

So what is The Dukan Diet?

The Dukan Diet is a diet that is taking the world by storm, it is a high protein, low carbohydrate weight loss plan developed by French physician Dr Pierre Dukan. The diet has been dubbed as "just another fad diet" and "the new Atkins", however there are several benefits aside from having a sound scientific basis, it is composed of numerous components that make it extremely dieter friendly.

The benefits of the diet that sold it to me LittleMissMoffett the foodie who grazes through the day:

 Eat Real Food

 Eat as Much as I want

 Eat "Naughty" foods

 Maintain My Weight Forever on the Dukan Diet

The Dukan Diet is made up of Four Phases and will help you lose and stabilise weight, promising that True Weight is reached and that your True Weight is a realistic weight that can be attained and most imprortantly maintained

Phase 1 - ATTACK - The Attack phase consists of pure protein and creates a kick start to the diet. During the Attack phase you can eat from a list of foods that produce immediate and noticeable weight loss

Phase 2 - CRUISE - The Cruise phase adds 32 vegetables and will take you to your True Weight. Weight will now come off gradually and steadily by alternating Pure Protein (PP) and Protein + Vegetable (PV) days. The length of this phase is based on a schedule for each pound you want to lose.

Phase 3 - CONSOLIDATION - During this phase you are at your most vulnerabl, as the body has a tendenacncy to quickly regain lost pounds. This phase is designed to prevent the rebound effect by gradually returning previously forbidden foods and allows for two celebration meals per week. This phase follows a strict timeline - 5 days per every pound lost in the Cruise phase - so for example if you lost 5lbs in Phase 2 you will be on Phase 3 for 25 days.

Phase 4 - PERMANENT STABILIZATION - This phase is the rest of your life. You have learned how to eat and have developed a pattern to follow. In addition to keep your new weight and body three simple but non negotiable rules MUST be followed:

1. Consume 3 tbls of oat bran per day

2. choose to take the stairs whenever possible

3. Have a Pure Protein Thursday

The first thing I did was use the calculator to calculate how much I wanted to lose and the way to do it (i.e how long I should follow each stage for...).  Now rather than sign up for the online Daily Dukan Coaching for approx £55 I purchased the Dukan Diet Plan and used information on the internet to work out my eating plan and further my understanding. After the reading and research I made my listed and off I went to the shops to purchase and stock on up on a wide range of delicious food to see me through the Attack Phase.

My next post will be a diary of how I got on with the Attack Phase (including some pictures of the meals I made....)

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett xx