Dukan Diet news

Tailoring a Great French Diet to your Florida Lifestyle

For those of you who followed my Parislogue posts about the Dukan diet three years ago, you'll be delighted to know that the Dukan diet has finally hit the US of A! I just picked up a copy of the Crown Publishing edition and it's a beautiful translation of Dr. Dukan's inspiring call to arms.

And let's face it, losing weight - whether you want to lose one pound or fifty pounds is a battle against an army of junk food, constant attack of food advertisments, impulse food at cashier check-outs, and the daily stress that drives us to find refuge in our sense of taste and texture.

If you haven't yet read, The Dukan Diet, read it from cover to cover, and tell me you're not inspired to take up arms and do the good battle for your health and happiness.

I have done the diet - and can tell you that it does work. That isn't to say that there are pitfalls if you're doing this for the long haul (all of which are honestly mentioned in the book!).
But also know, that I am here for anybody who wants to take a stab at the program.

Something new about the US version of the Dukan diet:
Originally, exercise was not emphasized with the exception of taking stairways as opposed to elevators - but in places like south Florida where you're living on the 12th or 18th floor of a condo, taking the steps everyday would be a REAL work-out. Therefore, the US edition does emphasize 20, 30, or 60 minute walks as part of the program.

Some of the things not mentioned in the book are your psychological preparation before beginning the diet, so here are some additional suggestions which I've found to be useful:

Assess the influences good and bad around you before undertaking a diet.

Begin by clearing your kitchen and refrigerator of any food that remains as a temptation. If you share your kitchen with others that have no interest in dieting, then you need to set aside a portion of the kitchen/refrigerator that is yours and yours alone.

Do not panic when you are invited out to a restaurant. Accept the challenge. Servers will always try to load up your plate and you need to insist on what you want.
Protein happens to be the most expensive item on a restaurant menu so most restaurants will load up your plate with carbs to mask the miniscule piece of fish or meat. Tell them to bring out your steak, fish, chicken or veal with NO pasta, no potatoes, no rice and the chef will most likely be too embarrassed to skimp on your protein.

When it's time for an aperatif, club soda with a twist of lime is bubbly and refreshing.
Going out to eat is part of south Florida culture - you can enjoy it doubly when you know you are following the plan and working toward your goal.

So, if you've been hesitating to start the Dukan diet, wait no longer!

Dukan Diet Revisited

For those of you who've been wondering - why the lack of posts for the last two weeks - it's because I've been focusing on the Dukan diet.
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A year ago last August, I started the Dukan diet (thanks Davine, for telling me about the book "Je Ne Sais Pas Maigrir" by Pierre Dukan) The goal was never meant to be drastic weight loss - just some basic maintenance i.e. seven pesky pounds or 3-4 kilos. Unlike the three day juice diets I'd used in the past, the Dukan diet is a long-term eating philosophy with very quick results (within the first week). There are four major phases - the attack phase which is total protein - and nothing more, the cruising stage which adds vegetables (you'll never love a tomato better), the consolidation stage (which allows for two feasting meals per week called 'galas', and the final stabilisation phase which means eating 'normal' 6 days a week and reserving 1 day per week (forever!) to be your total protein day. The other 'forever' addition to my diet is oat bran. Three Tablespoons a day which apparently is not only good for losing weight, but losing cholesterol as well.

The naysayers: After having hit my target weight within one month of starting the diet, and keeping my weight stabilized for five months (even while traveling and during the holiday season), my gyn noted how slim I was and when I mentioned the Dukan diet - she said "don't be surprised if the weight all comes back".

I don't know why she said that (except that rebound is the common occurence for most diets) but isn't there ALWAYS someone who wants to throw a wet blanket on things? Come spring time, my gyn's gloomy forecast came true - a few of the pounds came crawling back - but there was one very good reason for that: smugness.

The Dukan diet isn't meant for wimps by any means - and like any good soldier, you don't let down your defenses when you're coasting. In effect, I let the one pure protein day per week fall by the wayside. Big mistake.

So, if you are midway through the Dukan diet - or if you've finally reached your target weight and feel you can give yourself a pat on the back with a splurge of feasting, think again! The reason I say this now is because any of you who've gotten to the target weight stage know exactly how hard you've worked to get there - and it would be a real 'dommage' to let all that hard work go to waste.

The good part about the Dukan diet is that if you've spent so much time already setting up good eating habits - a rebound is NOT the end of the world - far from it. The key is to get back on track as fast as possible.

So, now, I can happily say after over one year, I am STILL at my target weight - but not without some backpeddling - and a lot of jogging!

I know two of you readers have taken on the Dukan diet stateside and Lori, I love the fact that you called the 'gala' meals - 'cheat meals'. Needless to say, once the Dukan crosses the ocean, there'll be some adjustments for 'American tastes'. Rabbit isn't big in the States but it's a low caloric meat - we have plenty of rabbits to spare in Normandy.

For those vegetarian readers, Dr. Dukan's website offers some suggestions for creating a 'pure protein diet' by using soy-based products such as tofu as well as lentils, and low-fat or 0 % dairy products.

Here are some suggestions for avoiding 'fat traps'.
Beware of night time television viewing. Pick up a video instead. The advertisements are almost ALL based on food products.

Holiday baking projects. It's too tempting to cheat!

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!