Dukan Diet End of Week 3

By Belinda


153.2 1b


I read a lot this week about the Dukan diet. I discovered that it's the diet Kate Middleton and Pippa, as well as their mother, used to get in shape for the wedding. 


I also read some success stories on the Dukan web site and watched a video clip on Dr. Oz, where one of the people whose blog address I have in the side bar here, ("How the Dukan Diet Works") was on the show. He had regained 25 of the 50 he lost on the diet but was back on track again, following the rules he had relaxed. He also said that now he knows how to lose it and he was still looking much better than he did at his original weight.


I read a diet review that raised a red flag about the lack of some essential nutrients at the beginning of the diet in the Attack Phase and Cruise Phase where only certain vegetables, and no fruit are allowed as well as no whole grains. 


The fact is that does seem worth paying attention to. Carrying excess weight and eating a typical high fat, high sugar diet is also not healthy and the Dukan diet does help to break that cycle.


The worries about nutritional balance are not an issue in the way I am choosing to follow the diet though since I am doing two Attack Days followed by five days of eating normally. If I lose weight more slowly this way that is okay. 


What I am finding is that the Attack Days, when you eat only protein and an oat bran gelatte, seem to have broken my craving for junk food and sweets. 


When you are eating only protein, you really only want to eat to satisfy your hunger and although you can eat as much protein as you want, you don't need much to feel full. I have become more in tune with when to eat and how much to eat.


I have also found that coming off the Attack Days, the increased sensitivity to true hunger carries over, and I am eating less.


I can eat anything I want to, but I don't want junk food snacks. I can see how having one Attack Day on the same day every week for life would have many benefits. 


Paul noticed a difference in my weight yesterday and commented on it! Encouraging!


Exercise is one part of the diet that I have to incorporate more of. Generating "heat" is an important part of heating up the metabolism andburning calories. Yesterday, for the first time in ages I put on a Lesley Sansome, Walk Away the Pounds DVD and did 21/2 miles,  (about half an hour,) which got my heart rate up to 120 beats and really gave my body an overdue shock! I bought one of her newer sets of DVDs to work in some variety and plan to use them in between regular outdoor walks. First though my calf muscles have to recover from the unaccustomed exercise they got yesterday!