When Dr. Pierre Dukan’s book The Dukan Diet first debuted in France, it was an instant hit. Now, the book has been translated into different languages and distributed across the world.  Still, some people can help but ask, “What is the Dukan Diet?”  They know it is a popular diet, but they are unaware of what the plan includes.

Dukan Diet Plan Overview

The Dukan Diet is a four-stage diet plan.  The stages are:

  • Attack
  • Cruise
  • Consolidation
  • Stabilization

The phases were designed to help people lose weight and keep it off. In order to understand that concept, we are going to go through each of the phases.

Attack

During this phase, you can consume:

  • As much lean protein as you want
  • 1.5 liters of water a day
  • 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran a day

You will get to choose from 72 items that include:

  • Lean or low fat meats
  • Fish
  •  Poultry
  • Eggs
  • Soy
  • Nonfat dairy

You can lose one to two pounds a day during this phase.  Dr. Dukan believes this extreme amount of weight loss motivates people so they will stay on track through the other three phases of the diet.

Cruise

During this phase, you can eat:

  • An unlimited amount of lean protein
  • An unlimited amount of 28 non-starchy vegetables, every other day
  • 2 tablespoons of oat bran every day

This phase is designed to help you ease back in to eating different types of foods.  As you navigate through this phase, you will continue to lose weight, and you will begin to develop healthy eating habits.

Consolidation

The Consolidation Phase is the first of two phases designed to help people keep weight off for the long-term.  During this phase, you can eat:

  • Unlimited amounts of protein, including pork and lamb
  • Unlimited vegetables every day
  • One piece of low sugar fruit a day
  • 1-2 servings of starchy foods

You can also have one to two celebration meals a week.  These meals can include any type of food you want.  During this time, you can go for the piece of cheesecake or have some pizza.

Along with the celebration meal, you need to have one day of pure protein a week.  On your pure protein day, you will eat the same foods you ate during the Attack Phase.

Stabilization

By the time you reach the stabilization phase, you should have developed healthy eating habits. Now, you will put those habits to the test by eating whatever you want six days a week, as long as you eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day.  On the other day of the week, you will have a protein day.  You will also eat the oat bran on your protein day.

Additional Considerations

You need to add some exercise in to the program.  Walk for twenty minutes a day.  Also, use the stairs instead of riding the elevator, and park far away from the entrance when you go to stores and other public places. Do everything you can to get in your exercise so you can maintain your weight.

Now you can use this information to help others who want to know about the diet.  If someone asks you, “What is the Dukan Diet?” you can give him or her clear-cut information about this popular dieting option.