Dukan diet
Following news on internet, and after talking to friends in France, have decided to try the Dukan Diet, as nothing else seems to be moving the 15 kilos I need to lose before The Wedding in July.
So, have bought the book, done my shopping from the list of authorised foods, and have started the Phase 1 - Protein-only part today. This means all the meat, fish, eggs, sea-food and 0% dairy you like, but nothing else - no fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, lipids - nothing!
As I have a lot of stubborn weight to move, will be doing this phase for 7 days : according to the book, I could lose up to 5 kilos - will let you all know if this one really works, and how hard it is to stick to it.
14th June - weight down to 73.6 kgs ( not a big difference in weight for 10 days, I know) however, difference is in body shape : I can now get into jeans that have been in the wardrobe for 2 years, including my lovely ( and still unworn, until now, dVb's! - I bought these for a silly price at a sample sale, but have never been able to wear them - now do up without even lying on the bed...)
So I am clearly losing visceral fat ( the worst kind) but gaining muscle ( due to walking and loads of protein), which may explain very gradual weight loss.
Interestingly, the Dukan diet also ties in very well with the Blood Type diet ( I am O+, and therefore a hunter-type : lean meat, veggies, no sugars or carbs) , which may explain why this diet is working for me where so many others have failed. I am even allowing myself the occasional glass of wine, with no obvious bad effects. So, I may reach my target of 68 kgs in time for the wedding on 17th July.
4th June - weight oscillating between 74.5 & 75 kgs, however I now have a waistline, and my jeans are all too big. Most noticeable change is my attitude to food - I walk straight past all the "forbidden" food in the supermarket without a qualm, and I can anticipate that, even once I do reach my target weight, I will never go back to eating the way I did before. For example, I have become used to making a salad dressing with yoghurt instead of oil, and it's really quite tasty - so will stick with that. Also, am losing my sweet tooth - don't mind tea without sugar any more. And I cannot imagine ever pigging out again on a massive bowl of pasta...
One downside - I find that my skin has become much drier over the weeks - perhaps due to the lack of lipids in my diet.
Short update - after 10 days on alternate days, have noticed that weight is creeping up again. So am following book's advice and doing 3 days protein-only to stabilise and re-ignite weight loss.
However, face is noticeably thinner, and jeans looser - so deep visceral fat is being burnt.
Congratulations on sticking with it - 4kg is a great result and must make up for some of the boredom that you've been experiencing!
I've never heard of this diet before, so thanks for bringing it to our attention - I'll be checking out the details on the Internet now
After first week of alternating protein only / protein + vegetables, weight loss has slowed, but that is foreseen in diet. Down to 76 kgs ( starting weight 80 kgs). However, noticeable loss of fat on stomach ( much less muffin-top) and face looks slimmer.
Having veggies & salad every other day makes it easier to follow diet, although I still miss not having any fruit, and would kill someone slowly for chocolate or a pint of bitter...
I have also noticed that I am not really hungry at mealtimes, although I do not skip meals as this will, in fact, slow weight loss. Haven't had any carbs at all for over 2 weeks now. The oatbran at breakfast is preventing constipation, and I am also taking Lipobind when I have a big steak. Salad dressing is low-fat yoghurt + herbs + vinegar or lemon juice - not as tasty as proper vinaigrette, but palatable. I can also make chocolate "mousse" with cocoa+2 sweeteners+ 0% fat fromage frais, so all is not lost... I can also use cooking aromas ( no sugar content) to flavour yoghurts.
I can understand how a diet like this can change your food habits for the rest of your life.
After 7 days of protein-only, I can now introduce certains salads & vegetables every other day ( but no fruit or carbohydrates). I have lost 3 kgs so far, now have another 10/12 kgs to lose. The current one day protein/ one day protein + vegetables must be followed until I reach my target weight - probably about 2 months, as the introduction of vegetables slows weight-loss down. Once target weight reached, I then go into phase 3 - Consolidation - which I will follow for 10 days x each kilo lost - so about 3 months, then on to Phase 4, permanent eating-plan to maintain weight loss permanently, and avoid yo-yo effect..
Third day - not feeling hungry at all, but diet specifies that it is essential to eat 3 meals a day & drink loads of water - so had oatbran porridge, ham & tea for breakfast. No sign of any weight loss as yet, but I am a difficult case, because my kilos are mostly menopausal, so probably won't see any results until the end of the week.
Diet is already boring - missing my veggies, salads & fruits, but am motivated to stick with it.
