The Dukan Diet

This is a long review, like the diet, it will take time to get to the benefits The first thing I really noticed about this book is the way it's written, the total absence of pseudo-science, scare tactics and patronising opinions. I am a fairly well educated person (BSc in Biology and PhD in Physics) and I spent a lot of time studying and researching the intricate and complex relationship between food and humans. I liked the fact that Dr Dukan immediately and clearly states that we put on weight because our food intake exceeds our energy expenditure (that appealed to the physist in me). A fact I knew but never measured it until I started calculating my energy intake to the nearest calorie (I used a free iPhone app called MyFitnessPal). I was shocked by how fast calories and fat pile up and how many calories are ingested and "forgotten" everyday (this is apparently a recently discovered psychological phenomenon whereby we forget what we subconsciously consider as "good" calories such as a big healthy fruit salad or "trivial" calories such as a skinny latte with a couple of sugars, it all adds up!). Dr. Ducan also mentions very early on in the book the concept of "resting metabolism" which is for most sedentary humans is much lower than the "recommended" number of calories plastered over every food packaging (namely 2500 calories for men and 2000 calories for women). If you live a mainly sedentary life like me you soon realise that you need far less than 2500 calories to survive (I calculated mine to be around 1770 calories per day). Now here comes the scary bit, just 20 calories a day above the resting metabolic rate (basically one fifth of a hobnob) will amount to 7500 calories per year. As you don't need these calories, the body will store them as 2 pounds of fat... Back to the book, once the basics are out of the way, Dr. Dukan goes to great lengths to clearly explain how his diet works. I really liked that, no mumbo-jumbo, nothing but proven scientific, socio-economic and psychological facts. There is no name dropping, no testimonies from A-list Hollywood actresses, page 3 stunnas or the ubiquitous "Mrs B. from London". Unlike the "original" protein diet (I am not mentioning names in case I get sued) which was a total fluke, Dukan's diet has a lot of scientific basis, recent research has shown that proteins are broken down slower and make you feel fuller for longer. The big difference here is that Dukan specifies which meats you can eat and which you can and why, it's all to do with their fat content, too much fat negates everything. Another differentiating aspect is the phasing (Attack, cruse, consolidate and stabilise), it is really clever as what it does is introduce and gently enforce a state of mind which is in my opinion the real success criteria. It's a long process and it's not easy or might not feel natural as it goes against the grain, but anyone who smoked and stopped will tell you that to stop smoking, you must want to stop smoking. Having said that, the human mind is a curious thing, something that might seem at first unnatural and counter-intuitive, can with time and perseverance become second nature, however, push too hard and the body will shut itself into starvation mode and you have problems unlocking it. But be too lenient and you will end up going the other way. We are conditioned to eat as much as we can as our bodies are yet to understand that food has never been more available in the entire human history (well at least in the West, there a famine going on in the horn of Africa as I am writing this) If you are still reading this, you must be getting restless: did the Dukan diet work for me? The answer to the second question is a politician's answer: "YES and NO". Let's start with the "NO". When it comes to eating habits, research has shown that humans broadly fall into two categories, those who "graze" during the day and those who don't. I am of the second type, I like to have 3 defined meals during the day and I rarely snack between meal times. When I eat, I eat until I am no longer hungry then I stop. If I have a main course, then I rarely have a starter and almost never have a dessert. I am not keen on sweets (apart from 2 sugars in my frequent cups of coffee) and I rarely eat junk food (1 burger & fries per month), I like to eat fresh fruit and vegetables at least once a day but I never exercise. Reading the Dukan book rammed home the fact that I was ingesting the "recommended" 2500 calories a day while I only needed 1800 to survive comfortably (I been working from home for the past two years). I gained 10 kgs over the past two years and despite my efforts nothing seemed to stop the steady increase. I put it down to middle age spread (I am 47) and resigned myself to upgrading my cherished (and sadly expensive) collection of handmade suits and shirts. However, rigidly following Dukan's attack phase resulted in the spectacular weight loss of 5 kgs in 10 days (over 1 pound per day in average). It was however a really difficult period for me, I ached for fresh fruit and vegetables and I missed starchy foods. I had a fridge full of the best M&S and Waitrose had to offer and I really had to force myself to eat the equivalent of the 2500 calories per day I was used to. In the beginning, I found it difficult to create 3 meals a day using only proteins. I resorted to grazing but had to set alarms on my phone to remind me to snack, totally against my nature. I hated meat so much that after the attack period, I basically spent the following two weeks as a vegan. Which brings nicely back to the "YES". The spectacular weight loss and the fact that I weaned myself off the sugar in my coffee and all the information in Dukan's book really kicked my fat behind into doing something about my eating and exercise habits. My 30 minute walks are now daily occurrences (often stretching to one hour), my meals have heavier proteins content compared to carbohydrates, I have become a massive fan of oat bran, I add it to almost everything and I have been successfully experimenting with many of the recipes in the book. Dr. Dukan states clearly that 100% who quit after the attack phase will put on weight again, it has not happened to me so far, quite the contrary, However, I am convinced that I am still losing weight because I am following Dukan's basic rules, what you eat must not exceed you energy expenditure, lots of oat bran and lots of exercise. Do I recommend the Dukan diet? YES, definitely! For non-grazers like me, it's a launch pad to prove to oneself that it can be done and the book is a real comforting "life coach" without the pseudo-science, the patronising and crazy empty promises often associated with this industry. For the grazers among you, it's a workable and practical way to discipline your eating habits (I like to compare it the highly efficient "learn as you play" method).

Over the years I have tried many diets. We all know that dieting is really willpower to leave alone the foods that make you put on weight. I wanted to lose about 8lbs as I don't really look over weight I just prefer to feel slimmer.I bought the book out of curiousity really as my sister lived in France and I don't remember seeing a slim woman in the area that she lived in!!! Anyway, I started the and diet once I got the gist of it as I decided that I could read the book as I went along. Seven days on the diet and I have lost six and a half pounds so I am thrilled!! I haven't found it hard to stick to at all and am rarely hungry. I had a bit of a blip one day as I didn't feel well at all. To cut a boring story short I visited the doc and explained everything and she said I could carry on with the diet but if I felt poorly again whilst on the diet to go back to see her. Low blood sugar might have been the problem that day (not confirmed) but I would say that Diabetics should be very careful and consult the doc first before starting this diet. Overall, this is a very informative book and it worked for me so it could work for you. Most diets tell you to change your eating habits and this is no exception but it has made me face up to the fact that I will have to be good and not eat too many sweet items (choc -oh no!) too often.REMMBER!! IF I CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU!!!!! I am adding this p.s. about the oat bran. I disagree with the lady who said it was awful. One and a half tabespoons is 40 grams and it is better to weigh it as I wasn't having enough by spooning it. I simmer it ina pan with either milk or water for about five minutes on a low heat. I love it because it reminds me of my childhood. When I was little my mum used to make something called 'gruel' if I wasn't well and it reminds me of that.Very comforting!! Two weeks on and I have lost NINE AND A HALF POUNDS!!!!! I am so pleased. I wasn't fat to start with but I feel so much better. I know the pounds have crept on slowly and were not that noticable but to me it is well worth the effort of addressing the problem. I have got into the habit of eating the way the book says and I no longer crave sweet things the same as I did. I still like them but only have a proper dessert on a Saturday. Duing the week I have had strawberries and blueberries with plain yoghurt. Very satisfying. I did make a mistake earlier in my review. The one and ahalf tablespoons of oat bran which I said was 40grams should have been approx.25 grams but is still plenty when combined with the water and simmered. Even so, I still lost the weight having 40 grams!!!!! My blip with feeling unwell has never returned. I put this down to my body having a shock because of no sweet things being eaten!!! To sum up I would say give this diet a go!!!

This book is written by a French doctor's experience of treating patients who were severely overweight. It has interesting tips on what foods are better suited for certain body types, and I took away some facts from the book. If you've tried Atkins, South Beach and other diets where you closely monitor your protein, carb and fat intake but they didn't stick, this could be an interesting diet to try. Several great recipes to try as well. You do have to be willing to make some permanent changes in your diet, and I don't know if it is for everyone.

I bought this book in December 2011 as a Christmas gift to myself, so I am just finishing my 5th month following the Dukan diet, and I have lost 40 lbs - my target weight! I could not be happier. The book is extremely easy to follow, and the diet sets out the rules and all you need to do is follow them. For me, this works. I need hard and fast rules - none of "don't eat much of this" or "only eat a little of that." That doesn't work for me - I'd just eat it ALL. Also, I'm not good with counting points or calories all day long (although, I accept that some thrive on that system.) You just have to know how YOU function best, and choose the diet that fits your lifestyle. With Dukan, I know what I can eat and when, and I was NEVER hungry! I got rid of everything else in the cupboard to avoid temptation (and my very supportive skinny husband kept his granola bars, cookies, snacks etc. safely hidden away.) Then, eating as much as I want from the lists given, the pounds dropped off! The book gives reasons for why the diet works, how the proteins help you lose the weight, and a lot of other guidance in a clear easily-understood way. I didn't really use many of the recipes included, but they're there if you feel adventurous. If you are serious about really wanting to lose weight, then give this a try. Also, my blood pressure is back to normal, plus my glucose levels!!! Go for it, what have you got to lose????

Le seul régime qui marche vraiment, à la condition de bien le suivre et de ne pas l'abandonner complètement.Il ne faut pas oublier que TOUT passage à une alimentation malsaine entraine une prise de poids. Très bon livre, bien écrit et expliqué. Je ne vois pas pourquoi le Dr Dukan a été discrédité, peut-être par la jalousie de ses confrères?

I will keep this review very simple. This diet worked for me. I am only 5 feet tall and, since the age of 15, have always been a very careful, healthy eater and a regular exerciser. However, in the past ten years, my weight just continued to creep higher and higher. No matter how much I tried, I simply could not lose the weight. I had my hormones checked and my thyroid checked and just about everything else checked and the weight simply continued to pile on slowly and regularly. Please don't say that a "better" diet and "more exercise" would have worked. It simply did NOT work for me, and my diet was about as balanced, low-fat, and healthy as a diet could be and I walked and exercised nearly every single day. Yet, I got fatter and more sluggish as time went on. All those scientists and nutritionists and doctors out there who are telling people not to follow the Dukan Diet, please tell me why I gained so much weight if I ate only good foods, watched my calories carefully, never (and I do mean never) ate junk, and exercised regularly? Was I supposed to accept the theory that it was "menopause" or "aging" or something else that I couldn't control? Out of sheer desperation,and thanks to a suggestion from my sister, I bought The Dukan Diet book and I started the diet. I have lost 22 pounds, and I now weigh about what I weighed when I was only 18!! I went from a size 8 to a size 4 (and sometimes 2), I have energy and muscle tone, and I feel great. There are some carbohydrates in this diet (the oat bran and wheat bran) and there are also the natural sugars that occur in the dairy products that (thankfully) are "allowed" on the diet. In the third phase, one would add in fruits, pasta, bread, etc., once again. I am now in the third phase of the diet, in which these foods are added back in. While I would guess that this diet could be quite unhealthy if you stayed on it forever, this is really a short-term diet with a long-term plan for healthy eating and weight maintenance. Everything that Pierre Dukan says in the book makes a lot of sense to me. I am not a doctor, not a scientist, and not a nutritionist. However, I don't know a single person who went on a calorie-restricted diet and did not gain the weight back after reaching his/her weight goal and then eating like a normal person again. It makes sense to me that if you go on a calorie-restricted diet for a period of time and simply resume eating regularly after you lose weight, you will most likely gain the weight back. If you use the Dukan Diet, follow the diet through its first two phases, and then begin to add foods back in slowly, it seems to make sense that you will most likely maintain your weight. Better yet, you will have accomplished something wonderful and focused on your health and well-being as well as on your eating styles. What I liked best about this diet, besides the fact that it WORKED, is that non-fat dairy products are allowed (and there is a lot to choose from these days) and certain soy-based burgers are allowed. Additionally, the first phase, the attack phase, in which you eat only proteins, is really for only a short time. Then, you can add in vegetables once again. I did not like many of the recipes in the book; however, by reading the ingredients, I was able to create recipes that worked and still fit within the parameters of the diet. For example, I could not stomach the thought of the Dukan Pizza with salmon; however, I took the portion of the recipe that made the "pizza crust" and made two pancake-sized crusts instead. I was able to use that like bread, and darned if it didn't satisfy any desire for bread! I am proud of myself for accomplishing my weight loss goal, and I am thankful to Pierre Dukan for creating and sharing this very easy to follow diet. By the way, I found the Dukan approach to be less boring than what I was doing every day before I started the diet. Want to know why? Because I IMMEDIATELY began to lose weight! Losing weight by eating every day and walking for only 20 or 30 minutes was surely a lot easier and more exciting than counting/restricting calories, taking an aerobics class, and wondering how much more I would weigh the next day despite watching what I ate and exercising. Following a particular diet is a very personal choice, and many of my friends took one look at this book and said they couldn't possibly follow this diet. I found it easy to follow. Because I am still in the third phase of the diet, I honestly cannot comment on the long-term result. However, I can, with all honesty, say that, if it weren't for the Dukan Diet, I would still be 22 pounds heavier!

A simple and effective diet which allows me to lose 15 kilos in less than three months, without any medical care. Buy it if you need to lose weight. Thank you Professor Dukan.