The Ducan diet is one of the most advertised methods of weight loss. Understanding how the diet works, what the "right" weight is and why eating after the Ducan can be dangerous.
What is Pierre Ducan
The creator of a popular diet is not a nutritionist, but a therapist. Pierre Ducan was in general practice when an obese patient came to him in 1970. The man admitted that for weight loss he is ready to give up any food except meat. The doctor developed a diet based on lean meat, starch-free vegetables and a minimum amount of fruit. The precondition was the refusal of sugar.
Ducan claimed that such a diet is best for natural metabolism: a primitive man ate meat, seasonal vegetables and fruits. In our opinion, sugar was not available to him and should therefore be abandoned now.
After 30 years of experimentation and observation, Pierre Dushan published the book I Can't Lose Weight, which became a bestseller in 32 countries. The new method promised the opportunity to lose 5 kg in one to two weeks without limiting yourself to the amount of food.
Celebrities who openly praised the new method added popularity to Ducan's design. Jennifer Lopez and Gisele Bündchen used a diet to lose weight after pregnancy and childbirth. Welsh singer Catherine Jenkins claims to be in shape, nourished by Ducan's plan.
In 2012, the French Medical Council stated that a nutritionist had violated ethical principles by making medicine a commercial company. In 2014, Pierre Ducan was removed from the medical register for advertising and promoting the method.
How does the diet work
Diana diet means a protein diet with minimal carbohydrates and fats. The scheme includes 100 products that can be eaten in any quantity in the first weeks.
The method largely reflects a ketogenic diet and other low-carb meals as the body regenerates to gain energy from fat and protein. The high protein content of food helps to balance insulin production and reduces the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin. We are fuller faster and eat less. However, the Ducan diet limits not only carbohydrates but also fats. Research does not support the safety and benefits of this approach.
Before moving on to a Ducan meal plan, you need to calculate your "correct" weight. This can be done using a special calculator. The calculation is based on data on height, maximum and minimum weight, age, body composition. The calculator was developed by Pierre Ducan, so the result must be scientifically tested and consult a doctor.
Diana's diet is divided into four stages:
- Attack.
- Alternative.
- Anchoring.
- Stabilization.
Significant weight loss begins already in the attack phase, which motivates you to continue eating according to the Ducan method. Rapid weight loss is caused by dehydration, as the body loses fluid due to a lack of carbohydrates. However, experts do not confirm the long-term effectiveness and nutritional benefits of the method. Let's find out how the diet works and why it has many contraindications.
Stages of the Ducan diet
The diet consists of four parts, the duration of which depends on the calculated "correct" weight. The first two stages are designed to lose weight, and the last - to consolidate the achievements. Only foods high in protein are allowed during an attack. Then add vegetables that do not contain starch, a limited amount of fat and extra carbohydrates.
The duration of the attack, change and reinforcement depends on how many kilograms you need to lose to reach the "right" weight. The last step, which must be followed constantly, combines the fixation phase diet and the weekly protein in the form of a daily attack.
1. Attack
The phase lasts from two to seven days. If you need to lose 20 kg or more to reach the "right" weight, the stage may take longer. The meal plan includes 68 protein foods and some complementary dishes:
- meat: beef, veal, venison and other game, pork, lean and soya lard, liver, kidney, tongue;
- poultry: chicken fillet and liver, turkey, wild duck, quail, low-fat turkey and chicken sausages;
- fish and seafood: no restrictions, including canned tuna in water;
- vegetarian proteins: seitan - vegetable protein, meat substitute made from wheat gluten, vegetarian burgers and soy products, tofu and tempeh;
- eggs: chicken, quail, duck;
- low-fat dairy products: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta - not more than 1 kg per day.
The daily diet should include 1, 5 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 1, 5 liters of water. You can also add a tablespoon of goji berries, sweeteners, shirataki noodles and unlimited dietary gelatin.
You must spend 20 minutes each day on physical activity.
2. Change
Gradual weight gain takes months to years. The diet of the previous phase changes every other day with a more gentle and expanded menu - 32 types of vegetables are added:
- spinach, cabbage, lettuce and other green vegetables
- broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts;
- paprika;
- mushrooms;
- celery;
- asparagus;
- artichokes;
- zucchini;
- tomatoes;
- Green beans;
- onions;
- pumpkin and pumpkin spaghetti;
- turnips;
- cucumbers;
- carrot;
- beets.
Allowed a teaspoon of olive oil salad soaking or cooking in a pan and two tablespoons of bran. The duration of physical activity is 30 minutes.
3. Anchoring
The duration of the stage is determined after ten days for each kilogram lost. The goal is to prevent a return to starting weight. You can mix any of the first two steps, and add a limited amount of fat and carbohydrates:
- fruit: berries or chopped melon (100 g), medium-sized apple, orange, pear, peach, nectarine or two kiwis, plums or apricots;
- two slices of wholemeal bread a day;
- cheese, 40 g per day;
- starchy foods, 225 g per day: pasta, corn, beans, beans, rice or potatoes
- meat: roast beef, pork or ham once or twice a week.
Twice a week you can have a festive meal: a snack, a main course, a glass of wine and a dessert. There should be protein (attack pattern) one day a week. Bran - 2, 5 tablespoons, physical activity - 25 minutes.
4. Stabilization
The last step to help maintain the "right" weight. There are no strict dietary restrictions, but you need to follow several principles:
- products obtained from the fixation phase must be taken as food;
- maintain one protein day a week;
- walk for at least 20-30 minutes a day;
- drink 1, 5 liters of water and eat at least 30 g of bran per day.
The last step involves always following the meal plan, including a list of 100 foods with minor additions.
Menu for initial stages
Attack
- Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese, mixed with bran and cinnamon, coffee or tea, water. Skimmed milk and sweeteners can be added to tea and coffee at any meal.
- Lunch: chicken breast in a pan, shirataki noodles in broth, diet gelatin, iced tea.
- Dinner: steak and shrimp, diet gelatin, coffee or tea, water.
Alternative
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs from three eggs, tomato slices, coffee, water.
- Lunch: fried chicken and salad with French sauce, Greek bran yogurt, iced tea.
- Dinner: fried salmon fillet, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, diet gelatin, decaffeinated coffee or tea, water.
Anchoring
- Breakfast: omelette with three eggs with cheese (40 g) and spinach, coffee, water.
- Lunch: a portion of turkey with two slices of wholemeal bread, 80 g of cottage cheese mixed with bran and cinnamon, iced tea.
- Dinner: pork in a pan and grilled zucchini, small apple, decaffeinated coffee, water.
Ducan diet effectiveness
No diet provides a long-term weight loss effect, and the diet can be unhealthy. After temporary weight loss, people return to their previous state, and sometimes they recover more strongly than before the change of diet. A safe and effective way to achieve the desired weight and maintain health and fitness is to choose a suitable lifestyle and diet with the help of specialists, which can be observed on a regular basis.
. . .There are many scientific publications that focus on the effectiveness of a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates. However, there are few qualified studies according to the Ducan method.
In 2015, data were collected in Poland from 50 women aged 19 to 64 who followed the Ducan meal plan and consumed approximately 1, 000 calories per day, including 100 g of protein. Study participants lost 15 kg in 8-10 weeks.
In January, the US News & World Report, one of the top three US weekly publications on economics, politics and health, published 23 diet experts. Ducana diet was last on the list, receiving 1, 9 points out of 5. Experts rated the nutritional effectiveness of 2, 5, but the health benefits - 2. According to doctors, there is no evidence that weight loss by the Ducan method could be long-term and safe, while the productthe list is unduly limited and the dietary rules are too complex. One expert openly called the diet an "idiot. "
The diet is effective in the first weeks. There are no scientific studies to support long-term weight loss, and the long-term health effects of diet have not been studied.
Ducan diet harm
The diet is believed to be suitable for healthy people over the age of 18. The method is not recommended for chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders, pregnancy, lactation.
The diet has all the disadvantages of a bad carbohydrate diet, as well as some specific side effects, as many healthy foods are not on the menu.
Fast weight loss
According to British nutrition experts, the main disadvantage of the Ducan diet is that it can be harmful to health:
- Initial weight loss occurs as a result of dehydration;
- The diet is unbalanced, so you need to take extra vitamins;
- Keep in mind the amount of daily water and the necessary servings of oat bran to ensure a minimum amount of fiber.
Risk of disease
Due to the lack of vitamins and beneficial trace elements, the diet can cause:
- osteoporosis;
- problems with the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- hormonal disorders;
- nervous system disorders.
"Ketogrip"
Changing your diet can lead to the painful condition of the early stages of a high-protein diet. The cause of malaise is a change in metabolism as the body regenerates to get energy from fat and protein. Fatigue, increased hunger and thirst, problems with attention and sleep, mood swings, headaches, indigestion and tachycardia can be felt for several days.
Scientists believe that avoiding this diet could cause health problems in the future. And because diet is limited, most people eventually stop eating according to plan - they get bored and uncomfortable sticking to the list of 100 foods and their rotation rules.
The Ducan diet is probably suitable for most healthy people, but it has serious contraindications. Such a diet can cause cardiovascular, digestive and nervous system diseases, as well as hormonal disorders.
Key facts about the Ducan diet:
Per
- The Ducan method helps to lose weight fast;
- during the first two weeks, it is almost impossible to count calories and eat allowed food;
- high amounts of protein reduce hunger and help to eat less;
- diet provides mandatory physical activity.
Against
- rapid weight loss due to body dehydration;
- the list of foods is limited, so the body does not receive the necessary nutrients. There are no vegetables in the diet during the days of protein, the amount of carbohydrates is limited in the following stages;
- the fiber content is below the daily norm - 5 g instead of the recommended 25-38 g;
- there is no scientific evidence that such a diet leads to sustainable weight loss;
- there are no data on the long-term health effects of nutrition.
Doctor's comment
"The ducan diet is one of the most famous ways to lose weight. And this diet was tried in a timely manner by most patients who come to me for a consultation.
A valid question arises: then why do they need the help of a professional nutritionist-nutritionist? The answer is simple: most of those who have lost weight have returned to their previous eating habits within a few years, which means initial weight. Unfortunately, this is the second half of most diets that people use to achieve slimness. And the Ducan diet is no exception.
But this is not the most important argument why I would not recommend this diet.
The main disadvantage of this type of diet is the lack of essential macro- and micronutrients for a long time. Lack of vitamins and minerals can be compensated by special biologically active complexes, but it does not replace the natural uptake of natural macro- and microelements. Such deficiency conditions lead to a decrease in immunity and a deterioration in the functioning of all organs and body systems.
Ducan diet increases the load on the excretory system, liver, so it is categorically contraindicated in people with chronic renal and hepatic insufficiency, pregnant and lactating women, those with impaired protein metabolism, gout, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis. And also during the exacerbation of chronic diseases - gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, pyelonephritis.
The Ducan diet is a serious stress on the body, its potential harm far outweighs the benefits, and the result is very unstable in the long run.
Follow the principles of optimal nutrition, perform appropriate physical activities and monitor sleep and drinking patterns. The desired result will not be expected for a long time and your health will be in order. "