WHERE DID THIS DIET COME FROM?

I first found this diet in a woman's magazine where they explained the diet in a few words. I was interested as it looked a bit like the Atkins and we had done well on that one years ago. I then searched a bit on the web and found others who had blogs about the diet and read a lot about their implementation of the eating program. I felt I knew enough to start it on my own while I waited for the book to arrive through amazon.ca
This diet was first started in France by Dr. Dukan over 10 years ago and took France by storm. He has just now moved into the United Kingdom and his book is written in English.

The Dukan method proposes a healthy eating plan that returns to the foods which founded the human species, those eaten by primitive man, the hunter-gatherers, proteins and vegetables, 100 foods including 72 from the animal world and 28 from the plant world.

A method for losing and stabilizing your weight in 4 phases

1 – A brief and headlong ATTACK phase with immediate results. During this phase, the diet is made up of 72 high-protein foods enabling quick weight loss. This can last 3,5, 7 or even 10 days depending on how much you have to lose. I did 9 days.
    You eat low-fat protein only. And drink a lot of water (coffee, tea and diet sodas are OK too.Your protein is likely to come in the form of meat (low-fat beef, chicken, turkey, fish), but there are also dairy possibilities (e.g. zero-fat yogurt, Fat free cottage cheese, Fat free cheese) as well as eggs. You can season your protein with anything that is zero fat and zero carbs, like salt, vinegar, onions, mustard, normal spices (oregano, basil, pepper, etc.) and so on. You also must add some oat bran (1.5 tablespoons per day) to the mix and a 20-minute walk every day.
In the attack phase, the only thing that will passing your lips is the protein, the oat bran and the water.

2 - The CRUISE phase is next where the diet alternates Pure Protein days (PP phases) and Proteins accompanied with 28 recommended Vegetables (PV phases).

You have days of nothing-but-protein alternated with days of nothing-but-protein-and-vegetables. Salad is included as a vegetable. You continue the oat bran (2 tablespoons per day), the water and the walking (which increases to 30 minutes a day, briskly). You can see why the Dukan diet is also known as the French protein diet.
You get to pick how you mix the nothing-but-protein days with days of nothing-but-protein-and-vegetables. Some of the mixes you will read about are 5 days of protein only alternated with 5 days of protein and veggies. Dr Dukan suggests 1 day Protein and 1 day Protein/Veg and that is what we use.
Phase 2 could last for months if you have a lot of weight to lose. How do you know how long you need to be in Phase 2 and when it is time to switch to Phase 3 and how do you calculate your correct target weight (which is what marks the end of Phase 2)? You use the calculator on Dukandiet.co.uk. You need to register and be sure to change to pounds instead of stone or Kgs. You will find the goal weight is higher than what you think it should be.
The vegetables you are allowed to eat are pretty limited, because some things that we consider “vegetables” actually contain a lot of carbs. Things like carrots, peas, corn and potatoes are out, therefore. Green is in. So anything you might normally find in a salad is OK, including: Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions. Also allowed are things like green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, squash.

3 - A CONSOLIDATION phase of 5 days per lb. lost which prepares for the return to a balanced diet. . This phase sees the gradual return of pleasurable foods with festive meals and a small amount per week of other foods.
This phase starts once you reach your target weight. You don’t lose any weight here – you just maintain your new weight. The consolidation phase adds a little fruit, bread and cheese to the mix, as well as one “celebration meal” per week.
1) Continue eating protein plus vegetables to your heart’s desire. They are always on the menu.
2) You get one fruit a day, but you are looking for the watery fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, berries etc.
3) You get two slices of whole-grain bread. If you must have butter, make it low-fat. Be stingy with the butter.
4) You get one serving of carbs per week. This might be pasta, rice or potatoes.
5) Your menu expands to include one “celebration meal” per week, where anything goes. It can consit of 1 glass of wine, 1 appitizer, 1 main dish of anything you want and 1 dessert.  I guess if you travel, this meal would allow you to eat one normal restaurant meal a week.

As you move to the second half of Phase 3, you get two of these “celebration meals” per week and two carbs (pasta etc) per week

4 - A definitive STABILIZATION phase based on 3 simple, concrete, easy but non-negotiable measures. This phase is both the easiest and most essential in the slimming method because 95% of people who follow a diet put back on the weight they have lost.
Go back to eating whatever you like, but continue to use the basic rules of the Consolidation Phase as a safety platform (eat unlimited protein and vegetables, one piece of fruit a day, two slices of wholemeal bread, a portion of cheese, two starchy foods and two celebration meals a week. If your body tolerates eating more and you do not gain weight, that is great but if you do, stick with the Consolidation Phase.

Dr Dukan suggests eating only Protein on Thursdays for the rest of your life. (of course you can change the day of the week to suit your life style.)

Some of the words in italics are taken from http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/04/21/how-the-dukan-diet-works-the-french-diet-that-is-supposed-to-end-the-obesity-epidemic/.