Summarize:

With any diet, it's important to follow approved recipes, foods and cooking techniques. When followed appropriately, you'll see the best weight loss. The Dukan Diet is made up of 4 distinct phases (the Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization phases). Each phase comes with different "allowed foods" and cooking techniques. Make sure you're familiar with what phase you're in so you're following the diet appropriately. The Dukan Diet typically suggests low-fat cooking methods. Use little to no added fat when cooking. Download different recipes or print out recipes that are appropriate for the Dukan Diet. Also make a list of recipes you currently make that would fit into the Dukan Diet plan. The Dukan Diet specifically lists 68 sources of lean protein that are considered "allowed foods". You can eat these protein sources in any phase of the diet. Make sure you only consume the following types of protein: Seafood: arctic char, catfish, cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut and smoked halibut, herring, mackerel, mahi mahi, monkfish, orange roughy, perch, red snapper, salmon or smoked salmon, sardines (fresh or canned in water), sea bass, shark, sole, surimi, swordfish, tilapia, trout, tuna (fresh or canned in water), clams crab, crawfish, crayfish, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, shrimp and squid. Poultry: eggs, chicken, chicken liver, Cornish hen, fat-free turkey and chicken sausages, low fat deli slices of chicken or turkey, ostrich steak, quail, turkey and wild duck. Red meats and pork: beef tenderloin, filet mignon, buffalo, extra-lean ham, extra-lean Kosher beef hot dogs, lean center-cut pork chops, lean slices of roast beef, pork tenderloin, pork loin roast, reduced-fat bacon (i.e. center cut belly bacon, which is leaner than regular bacon), steak (flank, sirloin, London broil), veal chops, veal scallopini and venison. Vegetarian protein: seitan, soy foods and veggie burgers, tempeh and tofu. Dairy products: fat-free cottage cheese, Fat-free cream cheese, Fat-free milk, Fat-free plain Greek style yogurt, fat-free ricotta and fat-free sour cream. In addition to 68 allowed protein foods, the Dukan diet also allows over 30 vegetables. These are only allowed on certain phases so make sure you pay attention to exactly when you add these foods. Try any of the following allowed vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, bean sprouts, beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, endive, fennel, green beans, kale, lettuce (arugula and radicchio), mushrooms, okra, onions (leeks and shallots), palm hearts, peppers, pumpkin, radishes, rhubarb, spaghetti squash, squash, spinach, tomatoes, turnips, watercress and zucchini. You can start adding in some of these nutritious vegetables when you advance to the Cruise phase. However, you do not eat these everyday. The attack phase if the first phase of the Dukan Diet. The goal of the Attack phase is to trigger fast and encouraging weight loss. Depending on your weight, you may spend anywhere from just a few days to over a week on the Attack phase. The high protein and no carb nature of this phase will put you into ketosis. This is where your body is mainly burning fat for energy. No fruits, vegetables or grains are permitted during this phase. You need to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of fluids daily to keep flushing the ketones out of your body. However, the Dukan Diet recommends even up to 13 glasses of fluids daily. The Dukan Diet also recommends to start an exercise program when you start the Attack phase. Ideally, exercise in the morning to help burn more calories from fat. This is the second phase of the Dukan Diet. You'll start adding different foods back to your diet, however it still is skewed towards high levels of protein and very low levels of carbs. The goal of the Cruise phase is to continue to lose a steady amount of weight until you reach your goal weight. In addition, you're eating all 100 of the "allowed foods" at this time. Although the Cruise phase does allow you indulge in more foods, you need to alternate your menus during the week. The Dukan Diet suggests alternating between days of all protein (like that of the Attack phase) and days where you include both protein and vegetables. Make sure to exercise for at least 30 minutes daily. The Dukan Diet specifically recommends fast walking during this stage as your main form of exercise. The Consolidation phase is one of the longest phases of the Dukan Diet for some dieters. It's based on the total amount of weight you've lost during the diet. This is the phase where you're learning to maintain your weight while adding other foods back to your diet. The Consolidation phase length will differ for everyone. You're supposed to stay on this phase for 5 days for every pound you lost. So if you lost 10 pounds, you'll stay in the Consolidation phase for 50 days total. The 68 protein foods and 32 vegetables that are allowed during the previous two phases are still the main components of your diet during this phase as well. During the first half of the Consolidation phase you're allowed to have one serving of fruit daily, one "cheat meal" per week and 2 slices of whole grain bread per day. The last half of the Consolidation you're allowed to have 2 servings of fruit per day, 2 "cheat meals" per week, 2 slices of whole grain bread per day and 2 servings of starchy vegetables per week. In addition to adding some foods back to your diet, follow the Attack phase guidelines one day a week (Thursday is the day suggested). Only eat protein on this day.
Follow approved recipes and cooking techniques. Eat the right type of protein foods. Eat allowed vegetables. Start with the Attack Phase. Introduce new foods on the Cruise Phase. Start to maintain your weight on the Consolidation Phase.