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Pierre Dukan
I don't know how to lose weight
PREFACE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO BE HEALTHY
20 million French people suffer from excess weight, 35-40 thousand people die from it every year. But who cares?
YOU! And you don't know what to do? I offer you my technique.
Not because it is mine, but because in my later life, after 35 years of experience using it daily, I became convinced that it is the best among all those I have ever heard of!
Do you need proof? Here they are:
1) 3 million The French tried it, and 10 years after the first publication about it, the book ranks first on the bestseller list, immediately following the books about Harry Potter.
2) 174 doctors asked permission to use my technique, which suggests that they consider it effective. I gave them my consent, and I give it to you, my dear readers!
I offer 100 food products, the highest quality, nutritious and satisfying, marked with magic words: NO LIMITS.
The technique consists of 4 stages, starting with the most strict and ending with the most gentle.
1) Attack stage- short and most effective.
2) Stage "Alternation"– achieving the desired weight.
3) Stage "Consolidation"– for every kilogram you lose you will need 10 days.
4) Stage "Stabilization"– maintaining the achieved weight: protein Thursday, refusal to lift, 3 tablespoons of oat bran per day throughout life.
To succeed, you must at least try! I wish you to start and win the fight for an ideal figure with the help of my diet.
Your doctor Pierre Dukan
Association P.R.O.T.I.V. (1)
PREFACE: THE DECISIVE MEETING, OR THE MAN WHO LOVED MEAT
My introduction to the problem of excess weight dates back to the time when, as a young general practitioner, I practiced medicine in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris and at the same time specialized in the neurological department of the Garches hospital for children suffering from paraplegia (2).
At that time, among my patients there was a publisher, a cheerful fat man and an extremely erudite man, who suffered from severe asthma, from attacks of which I saved him more than once. One day he came to my office and, sitting down in an English chair that creaked under his weight, said:
– Doctor, I have always been pleased with your help, I completely trust you, and that’s why today I want you to help me lose weight.
At that time, my knowledge of dietetics was limited solely to what I was taught at the Faculty of Medicine: low-calorie diets and small portions of dishes, the contents of which were quite similar to normal ones, but in terms of quantity they were clearly intended for Lilliputians. In most cases, having heard from the doctor a recommendation to follow such a diet, the patient, not accustomed to denying himself any gastronomic pleasure, quickly left the office, overcome with horror at the thought that he would have to limit himself to what constitutes his greatest joy.
“I continue the diet because I feel more energetic and I also enjoy what I eat.”
Hesitatingly, I began to explain to him that in fact I was not familiar with the intricacies of this science.
- What science are you talking about, doctor? I visited all the specialists in Paris, including local charlatans. Starting from my teenage years, I lost weight many times, in total - at least 300 kg, but then successfully gained it back. I must admit that I was never particularly keen on losing weight, and my wife unwittingly caused me great harm by continuing to love me despite my enormous size. Now I'm almost out of breath with minimal effort, I'm having trouble finding clothes in my size, and quite frankly I'm starting to fear for my life.
“You can deprive me of any food you like, except meat: I love it too much to give it up.”
I answered him automatically, almost without thinking:
- OK then. If you love meat so much, come to me tomorrow morning to weigh yourself on an empty stomach, and then eat only meat for 5 days. However, avoid its fatty varieties: pork, lamb and the fattest parts of beef - fillet and ribs. Fry it until cooked, drink as much water as possible, and after 5 days come to me for re-weighing.
- OK OK.
AFTER 5 DAYS IT FOUND OUT THAT HE HAD LOST ABOUT 5 KG. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES, AND HE, BY THE WAY, NEITHER. I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED AT INITIAL BUT HE JUST SHINED, WAS MORE HUNTER THAN USUAL, AND TALKED TO ME WITH SO ENTHUSIASM ABOUT HIS SNORING DISAPPEARANCE AND HIS NEWFOUND FEELING OF COMFORT THAT SOON ALL MY DOUBT WAS VANISHED.
– I continue the diet because I feel a surge of energy, and besides, I enjoy what I eat.
So, he went for the second round - for another 5 meat days, but I made him promise to do a full blood and urine test upon his return. After 5 days, having lost another 2 kg, he jubilantly handed me the results of his tests, which, by the way, were completely normal - no high sugar, no high cholesterol or uric acid.
Meanwhile, I visited the library of the Faculty of Medicine, where I studied more carefully the nutritional properties of various types of meat, especially focusing on the proteins, for which they are famous for their high content.
Thus, after 5 days, when the publisher appeared in my office again, bursting with health and losing another 1.5 kg, I advised him to supplement his diet with fish and seafood, he gladly accepted this advice, since all possible varieties of meat had already been exhausted.
20 days passed and the scale showed 10 kg less than the original weight, and the second blood test was still satisfactory. So I decided to take a chance and go all in by adding all the remaining proteins, namely poultry, dairy and eggs, and just in case I recommended that he increase his fluid intake and switch to 3 liters of water per day.
In the end, he agreed to include vegetables in his diet, the long absence of which began to seriously bother me.
5 days later, during the next consultation, it was discovered that he hasn't lost a single gram. Under this pretext, he demanded a return to his favorite diet, which was especially valuable to him due to its unlimited consumption of meat. I agreed on the condition that the five-day meat diet would alternate with a diet combining vegetables and meat, arguing against the risk of vitamin deficiency, which he had great difficulty believing in. Nevertheless, he accepted my offer - mainly due to the threat of disrupting the passage of food through the intestines, since with such a diet practically no fiber enters the body.
This is how my protein diet was born, alternating the consumption of plant and animal proteins. My interest in obesity and all other problems of excess weight gradually increased, which completely changed the course of my professional and scientific life.
Over the years, I have carefully developed and refined this concept to create a diet that today seems to me to be the most suitable for the specific psychology of obese people and the most effective of all diets for weight loss.
However, over time, I have sadly discovered that weight loss diets, no matter how effective they are and no matter how strictly followed, do not stand the test of time. Due to the lack of a consolidation stage, their results, at best, slowly but inexorably evaporate, and at worst, the weight increases sharply, and everything ends in emotional instability, stress and feelings of disappointment.
Most people who put themselves to the test of a weight loss diet lose an unequal battle with excess weight, which usually leaves them completely discouraged, creates dissatisfaction with themselves and can lead to excessive obesity. To avoid this, I needed to create a system to maintain the achieved weight - a protective barrier against gaining pounds again.
“Many diets don’t stand the test of time because they lack a consolidation phase.”
I introduced this protective barrier using a step-by-step introduction into the diet of the basic products necessary for normal nutrition, in order to avoid the response of the body, deprived of its reserves. To overcome such an instinctive protest of the body and make the transition to normal nutrition easier, I established the exact duration of this stage of the diet, proportional to weight loss, which is very easy to calculate: it takes 10 days to maintain one lost kilogram.
However, even after going through the stage of consolidating the achieved weight, under the influence of metabolism in the body, a gradual return to old eating habits is possible. In addition, the desire to compensate for one’s problems and anxieties is inevitable by rewarding oneself with fatty, sweet and plentiful foods, which can break the resistance of such a seemingly impregnable fortress, which is the weight consolidation phase.
Therefore, I ventured to recommend another measure to my patients, suggesting another stage of the diet, which I boldly called the “final phase.” It would seem an unacceptable epithet for those who are overweight, both adults and children, who generally cannot tolerate anything that has to do with duration, since it contradicts their impulsiveness and rejection of self-restraint.
An unacceptable word, an unacceptable rule that you will have to follow for the rest of your life - but what if it was the one that kept your weight stable and only applied one day a week?
ONLY ONE DAY OF DIET A WEEK, BUT WHICH WILL BE STRICTLY AND STABLY UNCONDITIONALLY COMPLIED AND THE RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE MORE THAN CONVINCING.
It was then that the moment of truth came for me: I realized that the real success of my diet, undoubtedly, lies in the combination of all four of its stages, successively replacing each other, with successively decreasing intensity. Years of practice have allowed me to build a logical and orderly chain from which it is impossible to deviate. First "Attack" stage quite short, but very effective. It is replaced by a stage called "Alternation", including periods of assault and respite, followed by consolidation stage achieved weight, the duration of which is proportional to the number of kilograms lost. And finally, in order to forever maintain the weight gained with such difficulty, a constant and therefore effective measure, the observance of which is recommended for the rest of life, is one protein day a week, day of cleansing, which will allow you to maintain balance on all other days of the week.
“You can deprive me of any food except meat: I love it too much to give it up.”
The first patient of nutritionist Dukan
And in the end I achieved my first truly stable results. In fact, I offered patients not only fish, but also a fishing guide, that is, a diet plan by which they could not only quickly and effectively cope with obesity, but also maintain the results for a long time and without outside help.
I spent 20 years perfecting this technique, using it on a limited number of patients. Today, thanks to their consistent results, I am bringing it to a wider audience.
My diet is intended for those who have tried everything; who lost weight and gained it too often; and for those who, above all, want to provide themselves with a guarantee that in exchange for their short-term diligence, they will not only lose extra pounds, but also retain the fruits of their efforts and live with the figure to which they aspired and to which they have every right. So I wrote this book in the hope that the weight loss system I propose will one day also be the solution to your weight problems.
I wrote a book for those who are concerned about weight problems, but it is dedicated to those with whom I have worked, who have helped me live a fulfilling life as a doctor: my patients, young and old, men and women, especially the first of them, my jolly fat publisher.
Chapter 1
INTRODUCING THE FOUR STAGES
It's been 25 years since that pivotal meeting with the overweight publisher, and the direction of my professional life has changed dramatically. Since then, I have devoted myself to nutrition science and now help people of different weight categories lose weight and stabilize their weight.
Like all my fellow doctors, I was a graduate of a typical classical French school, where we were taught strict calorie counting and low-calorie diets that allowed the consumption of all foods, but in moderation.
But as soon as I began to work, this beautiful theory, based on the shaky hope that it was possible to turn a fat man, a passionate glutton and glutton, into a conscientious and scrupulous admirer of low-calorie diet food, collapsed irrevocably.
What I know today, I learned through many years of practice and direct daily communication with my patients - men, and most often women, who passionately desire to cook deliciously and even more so feel an irresistible need to eat deliciously.
Very quickly I realized that behind the mask of gluttony and unbridled appetite lies the need for self-reward through food, which for all fat people is irresistible and as urgent as the survival instinct.
“As soon as I started working, the classical beautiful theory of low-calorie diets, based on the fragile hope that you can turn a fat man, a passionate glutton and a glutton, into a conscientious, scrupulous admirer of the low-calorie diet art, collapsed irrevocably.”
It soon became clear to me that we are not able to help a fat person lose weight by giving him only advice, no matter how much common sense and scientific argumentation there is in it. A person who has decided to lose weight turns to a doctor or a weight loss method so as not to fight alone with excess weight - a struggle that goes against his survival instinct. This person seeks to find an external force, someone who would accompany him and give him clear instructions - exactly what he hates most - instructions, just instructions, because it is unthinkable for him to determine the exact days, times alone and methods of food abstinence.
A fat person admits without any shame his weakness (and why should he be ashamed?) and the immaturity of his decisions when it comes to his weight. I have seen different fat people in my time: both men and women; of different social origins: ordinary people and stars, executives, bankers and politicians; smart and brilliant people. They all sat opposite me and told me about their amazing weakness for food, about their lack of will and the uncontrollable appetite of gluttonous children.
It is obvious that most of them have secretly learned from early childhood the easy tactic of using food to compensate for stress or dissatisfaction. And no matter how reasonable and logical the doctor’s recommendation may seem, it will not help (and even if it does, it will not help for long) to resist this defensive reflex, which has been developed since childhood.
“Very quickly I realized that under the mask of gluttony and unbridled appetite hides the need for self-reward through food, which for all fat people is irresistible and as urgent as the survival instinct.”
In my 30 years of work, I have witnessed the glory and failure of many diets. Since the 50s I have counted about 210! Books have been written about some of them that have become bestsellers, published in millions of copies: the Atkins, Scarsdale, Montignac diets, Weight Watchers (3) and many others. I realized with what enthusiasm a person seeking to lose weight accepts them unconditionally, even if they are draconian, absurd or simply dangerous to health, such as the American Mayo Clinic diet, with its two dozen eggs a week, which even now, after 30 years after its birth, it is still used, although it is unanimously rejected by nutritionists around the world.
An analysis of these diets and the reasons for their success and failure, my daily interactions with overweight people, during which I noticed how single-minded patients can be in their desire to lose weight at certain times in their lives and how quickly they can become discouraged by the lack of results, commensurate with their efforts, convinced me that:
For those who would like to lose weight, you need a diet that gives the first results quickly enough. This is necessary in order to strengthen and maintain their motivation. The patient also needs specific goals set by someone from the outside, followed by the definition of stages of weight loss, in the intervals between which he could calculate and compare his efforts with the expected results;
Most of the recent lightning-quick diet sensations have a very effective start-up phase and produce amazing early results. But, unfortunately, after reading the book and studying the recommendations contained in it, a person is again left alone with his temptations. And for him everything starts anew;
Regardless of how original and inventive these diets are, all of them, oddly enough, turn out to be untenable after the initial, most active period and the first tangible results and, as a rule, leave a person alone with himself, adding only a few instructive recommendations and useful advice about moderation, which he is unable to follow;
None of these famous diets were able to provide precise, simple and effective guidance to maintain and strengthen the results of the initial phase.
A person trying to lose weight knows in advance that he will not be able to maintain the fruits of his efforts alone, without outside help. In addition, it is known that those losing weight, left to their own devices, after the first stage will again begin to gain their kilograms: first slowly, then faster and, in the end, at the same stunning speed with which they lost weight.
Having started the fight against excess weight and following specific recommendations for a certain time, a person still needs at least the symbolic, invisible presence of an instructor - a presence that would accompany and guide him throughout all stages of weight loss. Ultimately, all he needs is a simple, effective guide to action, a kind of magic formula that he can use for the rest of his life.
“The proposed diet, based on natural foods, is the most effective tool for combating excess weight that I have used over the years of my practice.”
Having studied many fad diets that do not guarantee long-term results, realizing the futility of low-calorie diets, whose adherents, despite numerous fiascoes, continue to believe that one day a spendthrift will miraculously turn into a thrifty accountant, I created his own protein rotation diet, which is the subject of this book and which, given all the years of my practice, I can call the most effective and easily tolerated by patients of all modern diets.
I may seem immodest to my readers by saying this, but I will take the risk anyway, because, given the extent of the problem of obesity, my silence may be seen as a deliberate failure to help a person in danger.
In fact, my system is something of a duo of diets that function like a two-stroke engine - alternating a phase of pure protein combined with a phase of alternating protein and vegetables, which gives the body time to recover and makes weight loss easier to bear.
Considering how easily my patients, after the first successful results, were ready to give up their goal and return to their old ways, I had to turn my diet into something big - into comprehensive weight loss plan.
This plan takes into account the psychology of an overweight person and includes all the conditions necessary for successful weight loss, namely: the diet offers a person who wants to lose weight a series of specific recommendations, stages and tasks that cannot be misinterpreted or violated.
My method, based on natural foods, is the most effective of all that I have used over the years of my practice. The initial weight loss is significant enough to provide incentive to continue the diet.
My weight loss plan is a low-restriction diet (no weighing of food or calorie counting) that allows complete freedom in the consumption of some of the most common foods.
The proposed system is not just a diet, it is a global weight loss plan that can be accepted or rejected entirely. This plan consists of four successive stages.
Attack stage, which includes the consumption of pure protein, allows you to quickly lose weight and in practice is in no way inferior to the results achieved through fasting or using protein powder, but without the disadvantages of these two methods.
Stage "Alternation"– this stage of the diet involves alternating protein with vegetables and allows you to quickly and at one time achieve the desired weight.
Stage "Consolidation"– the stage of consolidating the results obtained, designed to prevent the yo-yo effect, when the body strives to regain quickly lost kilograms. This is a stage of increased vulnerability, the duration of which is calculated using the formula: 10 days to consolidate each kilogram lost during the two previous stages.
Stage "Stabilization"- the most important the final stage of maintaining the achieved weight, which relies on very simple protective measures that do not require much effort to maintain the achieved weight:
1 protein day per week, that is, we adhere to the “attack” stage once a week, namely on Thursday;
Refusal of the elevator;
3 tablespoons of oat bran per day.
These three rules require unconditional strict adherence, at the same time these are specific and not difficult to fulfill conditions, but they will need to be followed throughout your life!
“Who said I should lose weight? Where is that written? What are these stupid beauty standards that I am obliged to conform my body to despite my genetic constitution, my own desire and ordinary common sense?
And in general, who declared (and what normal man would agree with this) that “hanger-like” and “not for life” tall models, arrogantly striding along fashion catwalks, should be for us - ordinary, normal, healthy women - models for imitation?
123RF/Oleg Dudko
Yes, I'm imperfect. Perfection in general is rarely found in nature, and its parameters are not uniform and unambiguous for everyone. Just think, a couple of extra kilograms, if you believe the body mass index formula... Well, a couple of dozen extra kilos - to be precise...
But I have as many as 18 reasons NOT to lose weight! If I lose weight, then...
1) I will have to change my wardrobe - and this is labor-intensive, expensive and will take time;
Just think, a couple extra kilos, according to the body mass index formula...
2) my discount at the plus size store will be wasted;
3) I will have to sit with my neighbors on the transport (now I’m taking up two seats at once);
4) the bed will stop creaking, and I’m used to falling asleep to the sound of creaking (this means that problems with sleep will begin);
5) monthly water consumption will increase - because the body in the bathroom will become smaller;
6) I will become less noticeable in the photo;
7) people of “Caucasian” nationality will stop winking at me;
8) I will not be able to claim the title of beauty queen in Thailand;
9) they won’t marry me in Africa either;
123RF/Sergey Mitrofanov
10) I will no longer be automatically accepted as a kind person and a good housewife;
11) my man will leave me because... prefers bbws;
12) I will no longer feel safe on the street (I will be pestered more often);
14) I will no longer be able to practice my favorite sumo;
15) I will age faster;
16) my cleavage will no longer be so appetizing;
16) I will sink faster in the water and freeze in the cold;
17) I will sing worse;
18) I won’t be able to apply for a job as a plus size model!”
There is no point in arguing with these arguments, although most of them are either myths, excuses, or easily overcome. However, there are 9 serious circumstances, in the presence of which you really do NOT need to torture yourself with diets and excessive stress, in general, to lose weight.
1. If you want to gain weight
If your body mass index is below the established reasonable limit and this is due either to your natural constitution, or to an excellent and very fast metabolism, or to a very active lifestyle, or to poor appetite or lack of time to eat, then you definitely do not need to lose weight. In some cases it’s not even possible. And believe me, your inability to gain even a kilogram by eating a ton of buns and sweets is the envy of the majority of the female population, if not of the entire planet (in Africa, women have plenty of other worries), then certainly of economically developed countries.
2. If you have anorexia...
Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, but if you are constantly dissatisfied with yourself, even despite the admiration of others; If your whole life revolves around the sole goal of becoming thin, then it's time to start worrying. Seek advice and support from your loved ones and seek qualified help from specialists! And they certainly will NOT recommend that you lose weight further.
3. If you are pregnant
Pregnancy is a period when a woman’s body requires all the strength it has. So in most cases, this is a time completely unsuitable for strict diets and heavy physical activity. If you stop eating well, violating the recommendations of obstetricians, pediatricians and nutritionists, then where will your baby get vital vitamins and microelements, and where will you get the energy to “raise” a healthy child? I agree, in some cases experts advise to be attentive to your diet, avoid “empty” carbohydrates, etc. But this does not mean that you need to throw yourself into the process.
123RF/georgerudy
4. If you are breastfeeding
This reason is very similar to the previous one. Your baby still needs as much nutrition as possible, and your body is still subject to a lot of physical and physiological stress. So this is not the time to lose weight. However, I hasten to console young mothers who are experiencing complexes due to the imaginary imperfections of a recently given birth figure: in most cases, healthy women lose weight without any effort after establishing and consolidating breastfeeding. The main thing when discovering this pleasant fact is not to relax and start eating “for three” instead of two.
5. You are a teenager
A young, growing organism, growing at a crazy pace and in unpredictable forms, needs a large amount of nutrients, microelements, vitamins, etc. You are unlikely to be able to determine on your own which of them you can do without. In addition, it is not at all necessary that your appetizing figure, which upsets you so much now, will retain its “appetizing” with age. So it’s too early to guess. But you can develop problems with the monthly cycle and reproductive system very quickly and almost unnoticeably. Is it worth it?..
6. You are going through menopause (or will soon)
This period is already quite difficult for any woman, and in many cases it is aggravated by the fact that the figure, so fit all her life, “blurs” under the influence of hormonal changes. But it is better to accept temporary inevitability than to develop additional health problems.
7. You have recently had surgery or a long, severe and/or debilitating illness
Your body needs strength to recover, and not to fight imaginary excess weight. Sometimes a sedentary lifestyle caused by illness or post-operative rehabilitation leads to muscles becoming weak and unattractively “sagging” in some places, but getting yourself into ideal physical shape can—and should—wait.
123RF/Yulia Grgoryeva
8. You are a genetic fatty
It just so happens that you are like this. And they have been like this for as long as you can remember. And most of your relatives. And you feel great about it. And completely healthy. You are flexible, pliable, active, and energetic... Nutritionists say that attempts to lose weight can harm you in this situation and certainly will greatly spoil your mood and character. So, calm down. Or maybe we shouldn’t put up? Maybe be happy?
You are special, you have the opportunity to create your own clothing style and feel unique. In addition, if you remember popular wisdom, 90% of men prefer plump women, the remaining 10% prefer very plump ones.
Nature has awarded us all with a different set of so-called shortcomings - both appearance and character; so what matters is not their presence, but how you turn them into advantages.
9. You are REALLY happy with yourself!
This is not a shield, not a mask, it is a sincere belief that you are good in any form! That you can easily lose weight (and perhaps have successful attempts under your belt), but you LIKE yourself the way you are now, appetizing. However, in this case there is no point in convincing you that you do NOT need to lose weight, right?..
It just so happens that these days, almost everyone strives for well-known beauty standards, namely 90-60-90. I can say that I have never been fat, for my height - 171 cm, I had a completely normal weight - 62-63 kg. I have never exhausted myself with diets, hunger strikes and other nonsense. Over the winter I gained a couple of kilos, over the summer I lost everything, because... I ran in the morning and didn’t put any nasty things in my mouth.
But one day, my bad life came to an end in the person of my beloved husband)) I got married, began to cook deliciously and a lot. Every evening rituals, such as tea with cookies, did not reduce the kilograms, but quite the opposite. Then pregnancy, childbirth, health problems and stress-stress-stress. I started eating, I ate all my frustrations, depression and fatigue with sweets/cakes/cookies, and in the end my 63 kg turned into 79. I lived with this weight for two years, until...
Until I learned about such a magical thing as the Dukan Diet.
The Dukan Diet is the first method based on a clear structural approach and provides effective weight loss in 4 stages, 2 of which are aimed directly at losing weight, and 2 at maintaining and stabilizing the achieved Correct Weight.
The diet involves 4 stages:
- Attack
The stage in which rapid weight loss occurs. This stage is limited to the consumption of 72 protein-rich foods. Attack is the shortest stage of the diet
- Alternation
Alternating protein and protein-vegetable days. At this stage, another 28 are added to the list of allowed products. The alternation stage lasts until you reach your desired weight.
- Consolidation
A stage that helps maintain lost weight. Products enriched with carbohydrates and having a higher energy value are added
- Stabilization
At this stage, any food is allowed, without restrictions, subject to three rules:
- Consuming only protein foods once a week
- 3 tablespoons oat bran every day
- Twenty-minute daily walks and avoiding elevators for life
The basics are the basics, but no one will tell you about diet better than Monsieur Dukan himself, so I recommend reading the book “I Can’t Lose Weight” and move on to the story))
The already famous nutritionist from France, Pierre Dukan, chose an eloquent title for his new book. Who is he talking about, who doesn’t know how to lose weight? Every potential client is sure that we are talking about him here.
Who loses weight with Pierre Dukan and gets results
“I’m fat!” thinks the overwhelming half of humanity. Therefore, losing weight is the dream of many representatives of both male and female halves.
“I Can’t Lose Weight” was released in 2012 for Russian lovers of various weight loss methods. , described in the book, is based on the consumption of large amounts of protein, bran and water. Carbohydrates and fats are almost completely excluded from the diet of those losing weight.
Pierre Dukan at the presentation of his book “I Can’t Lose Weight” with his book in his hands. The book became a bestseller, millions of people around the world got rid of extra pounds and lived a new life. And Doctor Dukan became famous and rich
The method consists of 4 stages:
- Attack. Lasts from a couple of days to a week. During this period, you can only eat protein and bran.
- Dilution. Alternating vegetables with protein is allowed.
- Recovery. You can treat yourself to a full dinner once a week and alcohol.
- Stabilization. In fact, it lasts for the rest of your life. You can eat everything, but leave 1 protein day per week.
The main thing, according to Dukan, is to walk for half an hour a day and drink 3 liters of water. And, by the way, the author has nothing against dyes, emulsifiers, sweeteners and preservatives.
It took Dr. Dukan 35 years to think through the diet, conduct experiments on himself, then on volunteers, and only in 2001 his book was published with more than 30 years of experience in losing weight. This small book is a treasure trove of knowledge.
The “forever diet” method has caused heated debate among nutritionists around the world. The Dukan system has been called harmful, inadequate and even life-threatening. There were also positive opinions from doctors who stated that the diet works, which means it has a place to exist. But the most interesting thing is the real results, which we can judge from the reviews of ordinary people who have tried the Dukan method according to the book “I Can’t Lose Weight.”
So, here are the reviews people write about Dukan’s book:
“For a year and a half now I have been adhering to the rules described in the book “I Can’t Lose Weight.” Now it’s not difficult for me at all. It was hard to walk and drink so much water. I was used to drinking tea and coffee, but practically didn’t drink water. I lost a lot of weight - 10 kg immediately, and another 10 over the past year. I don’t know how much longer I’ll last, but for now I’m holding on” - Alesya Tsysarskaya, 28 years old
“Terribly strict diet! I’m a “vegetable” person myself, so the first period was the hardest for me. Then it was a little easier until stomach problems started. I lost 5 kg, and then gave it all up. It’s been 5 months and I haven’t dialed yet” - Marina Kholosha, 36 years old
“I started “growing a belly” a long time ago, I was always planning to go on some kind of diet. So, I saw this book from my sister and decided to try it. Nothing complicated, protein is just right for me, but this bran... I removed them, in short. My sister advised me to take fiber tablets instead. Nothing, I lost 7 kg” - Maxim Golubev, 24 years old
“I liked the book, but the result was not very good. I have been on the Dukan program for 2 months, but I have only lost 1 kg. I do everything, I even walk not for half an hour, but for an hour and a half. Maybe we need to wait a little longer, but I'm running out of patience. And they say that you can lose 10 kg in a month. I don’t know why my result is so low?” - Svetlana Sinitsa, 40 years old
What do doctors think about the Dukan method?
Reviews from patients are different, but nutritionists are mostly unanimous. Doctors emphasize that the Dukan diet can cause quite significant damage to a patient’s health. Protein, soda, bran and a few vegetables will not provide the body with the necessary vitamins and nutrients. A person who consumes pure protein without fats and carbohydrates (or with a minimal amount of them) will experience vitamin deficiency, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, abnormalities of blood vessels and heart function, and many other possible ailments.
And the most important thing is that few people will be able to maintain the lost weight after the Dukan diet. After all, you will have to watch your figure all your life, do unloading, active walks and protein days. Are your health and fortitude made of iron? Then go ahead - conquer the Dukan method!
Dr. Pierre Dukan is a French nutritionist, the author of 19 books, including the famous bestseller “I Can’t Lose Weight,” in which he, already a well-known specialist in France, summarized the results of his many years of practice and outlined in detail the theory of his system. This book has been sold all over the world, in more than 10 million copies, but has only now reached Russia..
4 KEY EXERCISES FOR LOSSING YOUR BODY
Too much choice makes it difficult to choose
Throughout my medical practice, I have found that reliable, authoritative, but simple and specific instructions, without ambiguity, improve control and facilitate compliance. Therefore, I have selected 4 effective exercises that are best suited to solving the following problems:
First problem: weight loss from the widest range of muscle sectors and the intensity of calorie burning due to their work.
And the second problem: how to prevent sagging skin after losing weight, since many patients who have lost weight often complain of sagging and sagging skin in the abdomen, arms, buttocks and thighs.
Four vulnerable areas of a losing weight body
At 8 kg, a competition begins between the fat being burned and the skin shrinking. Indeed, the fat melts faster than the skin can shrink, and the picture is not very attractive. This problem is more likely to occur in areas where the skin is thinner.
There are 4 problem areas that women complain about most often (loss of elasticity and excess skin):
Abdominal area (flabby hanging belly). When you lose weight, the loss of weight and fat tissue affects both the outer part of the fat just under the skin and the inner part surrounding the muscles. When fat goes away, the muscles become less tense, and as a result, the skin on the abdomen becomes slack and flabby, and the abdomen itself protrudes a little forward. And when external fat melts, it is the skin that suffers, losing its firmness and elasticity. After losing weight, the skin recovers, but very slowly, it takes 6 months to reach its best tone. There is no need to hope for quick improvements and there is no need to do anything radical for this. As for the abdomen, which protrudes slightly forward, this is due to a weakening of the muscle wall. To tone it up and regain a flat and muscular stomach, you need to work on your abdominal muscles by pumping up your abs.
Hands. It is women with large, big hands who complain about their softening when losing weight. After weight loss, the arms become less voluminous and the skin on them sags
- saggy and loose buttocks. A city dweller who leads a sedentary life, losing weight, very quickly loses the fat pad of the gluteal muscles. As a result, he gains soft and saggy buttocks, which deprive him of sexual attractiveness;
- relaxed hips. This applies mainly to women, whose excess weight is concentrated mainly in the lower body, in the hips and knees. When weight loss is significant, thinner thighs are less elastic, and the same can be said about the skin.
Exercise No. 1
I first came up with this exercise for myself and have been using it for 20 years. I have been prescribing it to my patients for the past 3 years, most of them have already taken it. Besides walking, there is only one mandatory exercise that you must do, and I kindly ask you to include it in your daily exercises. Why? Because it is simple and easy to do. This makes it very easy to incorporate it into your daily life. Short and quick, it can be done in bed in the morning after waking up or in the evening before going to bed. It is extremely effective. And finally, it allows you to use a very wide range of muscle groups: abdominals, thighs and arms. See for yourself!
You can use physical activity as a tool to quickly return to the starting point of the diet: 20 minutes of walking allows you to neutralize, for example, a glass of wine or 3 pieces of chocolate
Starting position - lying in bed after waking up or having breakfast. Use a bolster or pillow to create a comfortable inclination. Lie on your back with this cushion under your torso.
1) Bend your knees, lifting them up, and keep your hands at your knees, supporting them.
2) In this position, bring your torso upright using your abdominals without using your arms.
3) Then lower yourself onto a pillow or bolster. Repeat this exercise 15 times without using your hands.
4) Do another 15 reps, squeezing your biceps.
Total - 30 times. In the evening, repeat the same series - this will give you 60 movements, and from the first day you will acquire the basis of stability for your abdominal wall and your biceps.
Every day, try to do a little more by adding 1-2 movements to the abdominals and arms in the morning and the same in the evening, that is, 31 + 31 on the 2nd day, 32 + 32 on the 3rd day and 36 + 36 at the end of the first week .
The goal is to get to 70 + 70 by the end of the first month and eventually to 100 in the morning and 100 in the evening. At this point, 200 repetitions will only take 3 minutes of your time. You can see for yourself that this is not a very burdensome task.
You will understand how effective this activity is by examining your stomach after a month, which instead of flabby and bulging will become elastic and flat.
Exercise No. 2 - for the gluteal muscles
This exercise has become another reflex of mine, I also perform it every day immediately after the first, in bed after waking up, it is a logical addition to the first. It is amazingly effective, every morning and every evening I feel its immediate results. With such exercises, the front side of the thighs warms up very quickly, very strongly, and I feel how all the main muscles are toned. It activates not only the hamstrings, but also the hamstrings and arm muscles. Let's try.
Starting position - take a bolster or pillow, lying on it, place your tense arms along your body on the bed.
1) Bend your knees. Place your feet and knees together. As you exhale, lift your hips up to form a bridge. The hull should form a straight line in the bridge.
2) Hold this position for several seconds, lifting your buttocks up.
3) Then lower yourself to the starting position to quickly rise again and take the same position, trying to make the bridge straight. Repeat the exercise 30 times.
Repeat a series of these exercises in the evening before going to bed. This will add you another 60 exercises per day, that is, no more than 1.5 minutes. If you are not able to perform these 30 exercises, it means that you have a very heavy pelvis and an insufficient muscle base, atrophied by a sedentary lifestyle. In this case, don't worry: reduce the number of movements and know that these muscles will adapt over time and you will be able to do the exercise as expected. Try to do at least 10 exercises in the morning and evening, as you really need it. Then, as with the previous exercise, try to add one set each day to one day reach 100 in the morning and 100 in the evening. At this stage, you will find that your torso and pelvis, which have lost weight, will gain elasticity.
Our society tends to tolerate general excess weight.
You, of course, hear speeches from ministers and high-ranking officials warning against excess food and a sedentary lifestyle, but they do nothing to prevent it.
Exercise No. 3 - for the hips
This exercise is of double interest because it burns the most calories and mobilizes the largest muscle, the quadriceps, which, as its name indicates, consists of four muscle bundles. On the other hand, cellulite most often appears above this muscle, and even the slightest weight loss can easily reduce it.
The goal of this exercise is to simultaneously burn calories and gain firm, toned muscles after losing weight. It involves all the thigh muscles, which is a lot for one exercise.
Starting position - stand on your feet, if possible, in front of a mirror.
1) Grab the edge of a table or sink, spread your legs slightly and straighten your shoulders.
2) Slowly begin to squat, bending your legs until your buttocks touch your heels.
3) Then rise to the starting position.
This is a difficult exercise, but extremely highly efficient. It depends on your weight, its location and the degree of your training. If you weigh more than 100 kg, it will be difficult for you to do even one such exercise. In this case, do what you can, and you will see that as you gradually lose weight through diet, you can get to one, then two, three or more squats a day. When you complete a series of 15 squats, you will already be close to your optimal weight.
Remember to add one set every day. Once you reach a series of 15 exercises, aim for 30, but don't worry - you have time. Once you reach 30, you will feel that you have gained firmer thighs, and meanwhile the 8 muscle bundles will continue to work, gradually burning calories day and night.
I HAVE ANOTHER GOOD NEWS FOR YOU. THE POINT IS THAT WHEN YOU PERFORM PHYSICAL EXERCISE, MUSCLES BURN CALORIES AND YOU KNOW THIS PERFECTLY. BUT YOU PROBABLY UNKNOW THAT EVEN WHEN THE EXERCISE IS COMPLETED, THE MUSCLE CONTINUES TO CONSUME CALORIES, OF COURSE, MUCH LESS THAN DURING PHYSICAL EFFORT, BUT CONTINUOUSLY, BOTH DAY AND NIGHT, FOR 72 HOURS. SO IT MAKES SENSE TO MOVE EVERY DAY.
Exercise No. 4 - for hands
A woman's hand is a very sensitive indicator of excess weight and skin condition. There is symmetry in the distribution of cellulite on the thighs and arms. Most women with cellulite on their thighs also have very powerful arms. When losing weight, they lose fat more easily in the arms than in the thighs. Because of this, their thinner arms lose tone and become flabby, and women experience this very hard. There are not many solutions in this area - surgery is contraindicated as it leaves too much scarring. But there is a huge selection of physical exercises. I have chosen one of them and offer it to you. This exercise is my favorite because it is very simple and effective.
This exercise has the advantage of working two muscles, the biceps on the front of the arm and the triceps on the back, to strengthen the muscles and tighten the skin in the fleshy part of the arm.
Starting position - take a 1.5-liter water bottle or one dumbbell of the same weight.
1) Curl the dumbbell or bottle until the dumbbell is close to your shoulders. Start with your palm facing inward. As you lift the dumbbell, rotate your hand so that your palm is facing up.
2) Slowly lower the dumbbell and repeat.
This exercise should be performed 15 times for each arm to achieve sufficient muscle growth and get rid of sagging skin.
Try to reach the limit of your capabilities and, if you feel capable, feel free to go further.
When you do 15 movements for each hand daily for a week, try to perform a series of 20 repetitions, after a week - already 25, to reach 30 movements at the end of the first month. On the other hand, remember that the skin of a person who has lost weight takes 6 months before it tightens again, so you should not expect miracles right away.
THE GOAL OF THESE FOUR EXERCISES IS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR MUSCLES, STRETCH YOUR INNER HIPS AND ARMS AND RECOVER FIRM AND SMOOTH SKIN.
1) Don't forget about the wonderful benefits of simple walking, even 20 minutes a day will speed up weight loss and give you the motivation to continue.
2) It is especially important to include walking at the stage of weight consolidation, when the risk of a plateau effect is very high, since the introduction of physical activity will give you additional body reserves for burning calories.
3) Introduce the 4 simple exercises you learned about in this chapter and you will quickly get not only your ideal weight, but also elastic hips, buttocks and slender arms.
