Dukan Diet Reviews

A well-known eating program called the Dukan Diet depends on the idea that increasing protein intake is important for weight loss. People on diets can lose up to eight pounds in the first week of the plan, which promotes a range of low-carb, high-protein diets over four phases.

However, according to some health experts, the diet may be excessively restrictive, unsustainable, and not effective in the long run because it leaves out a lot of healthy items from your meal plan.

What is the Dukan Diet?

The Dukan diet places a significant value on consuming large amounts of protein since it depends on the idea that eating a lot of protein will help in weight loss.

There are four phases to the diet, and each one has certain rules about what you can or cannot eat. In total, just about 100 foods are permitted, 68 of which are “pure proteins,” or foods like meat that are high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. During the first phase, the majority of foods that are heavy in fat or carbohydrates are avoided.

The plan states that the “True Weight” is a realistic, healthy weight that can be easily maintained over time without hunger or restricted eating. People on diets can expect to lose up to eight pounds during the first phase of the diet, and then another two pounds per week until they reach this weight. However, experts suggest that rapid weight loss has been linked to potentially harmful side effects and has been shown to cause weight gain.

According to the plans, your True Weight is determined by taking into account your age, gender, maximum and lowest weights, average weight, bone structure, genetics, and number of pregnancies.

Your target weight will determine how long the diet usually takes.

How the Dukan Diet Started

Pierre Dukan, a former French doctor, created the Dukan Diet after discovering that a high-protein diet helped people lose weight by reducing hunger and increasing feelings of fullness.

Dukan launched his best-selling book, The Dukan Diet, in 2000 after perfecting the diet plan’s specifics. According to the program, the book has since been translated into 14 different languages.

Many nutritionists disagree with it, saying that it is more strict and problematic than other low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet or the South Beach Diet, even though the fact that it has become quite popular among people who wish to lose weight.

The Dukan Diet Phases: What Are They?

The Dukan Diet is divided into four phases, each with a different duration, weight loss possibility, and list of foods to eat and avoid.

Phase 1: Attack

The diet’s initial phase is the most limited and short. According to the diet program, this phase lasts two to seven days and can lead to weight reduction of two to eight pounds, depending on your goals.

Rapid weight loss, however, isn’t always a healthy thing. It is not only dangerous and damaging, but it can also raise the chance of future weight gain.

During this stage, only about 68 “pure protein” foods—such as lean meat, chicken, and fish—are allowed. The plan also suggests consuming 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and targeting 20 minutes of physical activity each day, both of which may help in weight loss.

Phase 2: Cruise

The Cruise phase continues until you achieve your “True Weight,” which is a healthy weight that you can maintain given your height, age, sex, and past weight reduction experiences. During this stage, individuals are capable of losing about two pounds every week.

Along with the 68 high-protein meals that are allowed in the first phase, participants can also eat 32 vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and asparagus, shirataki noodles, and small amounts of wheat gluten, goji berries, and olive oil. Additionally, it suggests that you work out for 30 minutes every day and consume 2 tablespoons of oat bran.

Phase 3: consolidation

During the consolidation phase, you can enjoy up to two “celebration meals” per week, which may include an appetizer, a meal, and dessert with one glass of wine. This will help you avoid gaining weight again by gradually returning restricted foods, like fruits and starchy vegetables, into your diet.

For every pound of weight lost during the Cruise phase, individuals must stick to this phase for five days. Additionally, you should eat only lean meats one day a week, exercise for 25 minutes each day, and consume two tablespoons of oat bran.

Phase 4 – Stabilization

You may start eating any restricted items during the Stabilization phase, which is meant to be continued forever after you’ve achieved your weight goal. You are not restricted in what you can eat during this time.

To maintain weight loss, the plan’s only rules for this phase are to continue eating only high-protein foods one day a week, walk for 20 minutes every day, and intake 3 tablespoons of oat bran daily. It has been demonstrated that a focus on nutritious food and moderate exercise can help people lose weight over time.

The Dukan Diet: How Does It Work?

The Dukan diet’s first two stages use a high-protein, low-carb diet to help people lose weight. Your body enters a condition of ketosis when you eat this way, using fat instead of carbs for energy.

Maintaining the weight loss while gradually returning some of the meals you cut is the goal of the third phase. With a generally healthy diet that includes one all-protein day per week, phase four tries to maintain weight loss over the long term.

In basic terms, the Dukan diet is an exclusion diet. It reduces certain carbohydrates to help in weight loss.

Although everyone reacts differently to diet plans, here is how the Dukan diet says it works.

Foods You Can Eat On The Dukan Diet

The Dukan Diet offers strict limits on which foods are allowed throughout each phase, even though there are 100 meals in total that you can eat. During any of the phases, participants are not required to track their consumption of additional nutrients or count calories, but they should stick to the list of approved meals.

Some of the meals you can eat are as follows:

• Chicken, fish, and lean meat. These foods are low in fat and carbs but high in protein.
• Tofu, tempeh, and seitan are examples of soy products. Compared to other plant-based proteins like lentils, these meals have a higher protein content but less carbohydrate.
• Eggs. Eggs are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals in addition to protein.
• Dairy items without fat. These are designed to help you eat more protein without increasing your intake of fat.
• Vegetables that aren’t starchy, such as spinach, asparagus, and beets. These include vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are only allowed after the Attack phase of the diet.

Any foods that are not on the list of approved foods are restricted. This covers a wide range of foods that are heavy in fat or carbs, including:

• High-fat pieces of meat or chicken.
• Starchy foods like maize, potatoes, and peas
• Dairy products with full fat
• Grains, such as pasta, bread, or rice
• Legume
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Fried foods
• Added sugar is frequently included in soda and other desserts.

Although the program states that vegan-friendly foods like tofu and soy-based milks are permitted, those with dietary restrictions may not be able to follow the first three phases of the plan since it removes so many elements from their diet.

The Dukan Diet’s advantages and disadvantages

Every diet has advantages and disadvantages. Some people have more advantages than others. Additionally, different diets fit different lifestyles.

The Dukan diet’s advantages

Losing weight and keeping it away are the two main objectives of the Dukan diet. Because so little study has been done on this diet, it is difficult to determine whether it helps in long-term weight loss. In one small trial, women who followed this diet for 8–10 weeks dropped an average of 33 pounds.

One advantage of the Dukan diet is that it removes the need for calorie counting. As long as you only consume meals that have been approved, you are free to eat as much as you choose. Because of the high level of protein in the diet, you shouldn’t feel hungry, and vegetables and lean proteins may help reduce inflammation, blood sugar, and heart disease.

Exercise is an additional aspect of the Dukan diet. Most people can participate in the activities it suggests, such as walking and stair climbing.

The Dukan diet’s disadvantages

The Dukan diet has a lot of restrictions. You must avoid most food categories throughout the first two phases, maybe for months at a time. It might be challenging to follow very strict diets. Additionally, you lose important nutrients like vitamin C and folate when you stop eating fruits and vegetables.

There are a lot of rules to follow, making this diet difficult. When particular foods are only available on specific days, it can be challenging to plan meals and buy food.

When you first start this diet, you might not feel well. The absence of carbohydrates may cause you to feel more tired than normal. For energy, you need carbohydrates.

Nausea, vomiting, weakness, and diarrhea are some of the side effects of putting your body into ketosis. As your body adjusts to the diet, these problems should go away in a few days or weeks. Because your kidneys remove more fluid when you’re in ketosis, you may also become dehydrated.

This diet’s excessive protein intake may be harmful to your health. The excess protein must be filtered out by your kidneys, which could stress and harm them. Consuming more protein raises blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. Heart disease and blood vessel damage are associated with high homocysteine levels. Additionally, too much protein raises the risk of osteoporosis.

People with diabetes should not follow this diet. Cutting carbohydrates may make it more difficult to control your blood sugar.

Does it meet food requirements or choices?

Vegan or vegetarian. Eating a lot of lean meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, and fat-free dairy is the foundation of this diet. The vegetarian protein sources are tempeh, tofu, and seitan; beans, nuts, and lentils are not permitted on the diet. Not eating meat can easily become boring on days when your diet consists only of protein.

Low-fat diet. This diet may be a perfect fit for you if you’re currently on a low-fat diet or if you have a cardiac disease that necessitates ultra-low-fat foods. Lean, low-fat, or no-fat foods are permitted, namely fruit, vegetables, and protein.

Gluten-free. A gluten-free diet may be effective in its early stages, but when the rules break down, it is no longer completely gluten-free. Make it a practice to carefully read food labels if you’re attempting to avoid gluten entirely.

The Dukan Diet Plan

Each stage of a plan should be guided by these sample diets:

Attack phase

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with skim milk and fat-free plain Greek yogurt.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken breast and fat-free ricotta cheese
• Dinner: Cooked shrimp and scallops.

Cruise phase

• Breakfast: omelets with spinach, tomatoes, and red peppers.
• Lunch: Vegetarian burger and fat-free cottage cheese
• Dinner: Pork tenderloin and grilled asparagus.

Consolidation Phase

• Breakfast is strawberries and whole-grain bread with a poached egg.
• Lunch is a salad of grilled chicken with a low-fat dressing.
• Dinner: Sirloin steak, baked potato, and zucchini.

Review of the Dukan Diet: What Our Expert Says

According to registered dietitian nutritionist Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, the Dukan diet may cause you to lose weight initially, but it may be too costly and restrictive to stick with over time. This diet’s rules are complex and could be frustrating.

Is the Dukan diet effective?

Because the plan only permits a limited amount of carbohydrates, the initial phases of this diet are likely to cause significant weight reduction. However, you can regain some of this weight when you restart your regular eating habits after achieving your target weight.

Zelman notes that there is little evidence to support the Dukan diet, although one study suggested it might help you lose abdominal fat in the short term.

Although studies generally show that high-protein diets help people lose weight, experts are still not sure of the long-term effects on weight and health. Furthermore, there is no proof that maintaining weight loss with exercise and one all-protein day is sufficient.

Does it work well for specific conditions?

The risks involved above the benefits, even if the diet may help with some health concerns by causing short-term weight loss.

Because the first two stages are extremely low in carbohydrates, you will probably need to adjust your dosage if you are on diabetes medication. You may consume more protein than your kidneys can process if you have renal disease. Additionally, you would be losing yourself on heart-healthy fiber if you have digestive problems or heart disease. Consult your physician if you want to begin the Dukan diet.

Who should not try the Dukan Diet?

Because the Dukan diet is not limited to a healthy diet for chronic diseases like gout, kidney disease, or liver disease, Zelman advises not following it.

The Dukan diet can cause rapid weight reduction, thus, older persons who are at risk for muscle loss should consult their doctor before beginning.

Due to its low fiber content, the Dukan diet might not be the best option for you if you regularly suffer from constipation or digestive problems. According to Zelman, gut health is important for the health of your entire body, including your brain, but oat bran alone is unlikely to provide you with enough fiber.

The amount of fiber in oat bran is not very large. Most people require more than 28 grams of fiber per day, but the Dukan diet suggests 1.5 teaspoons, or 2 grams, every day. Eliminating items like fruits, vegetables, and beans might have a detrimental impact on your gut health and increase digestive problems.

If you have a medical problem, it’s important to see your doctor first due to the restrictive nature of this plan. Zelman warns about putting kids on the Dukan diet because it is too strict and can cause nutritional gaps that may hamper their development.

Additionally, keep in mind that animal protein is costly. If you’re on a tight budget, the cost of groceries for this diet can be problematic.

Conclusion

This plan promotes lean protein sources over those high in saturated fat, when compared to other high-protein diets. Additionally, protein can help you lose weight by increasing feelings of fullness.

The disadvantage is that this plan of action is frequently ineffective. It suggests that you remain in the consolidation phase until you achieve your objective, which is much more challenging. This period could last months or even years if you have a lot of weight to lose, which could result in a diet that isn’t very nutritious, provided you can stick to it at all. The strict nature of the Dukan diet makes it difficult to stick to, so even if you lose a lot of weight, the weight usually returns.

This diet can be effective for you if you want to drop a small amount of weight quickly. Consult your physician before beginning the program if you are over 50, have a medical condition like diabetes, or need to lose a significant amount of weight.

Zelman disagrees with this diet, despite a modest study suggesting its benefits. She recommends those that are more widely endorsed by the medical community: The Mediterranean diet is a powerful, scientifically supported plan that has been the subject of several studies.

FAQs

Reference

• Esposito, L., & Chien, S. (2025, March 19). Dukan Diet 2024: reviews, meal plans, phases & weight loss tips. US News & World Report. https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/dukan-diet
• Ajmera, R. (2024, January 9). What is the Dukan Diet—And is it effective? Forbes Health. https://www.forbes.com/health/nutrition/diet/dukan-diet/
• The Dukan diet. (2024, August 1). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/dukan-diet