My husband and I have been on a diet called I Dont Know How to Get Thin by Dr. Pierre Dukan that has been on the Amazon bestseller list here in France for the last three years. It will be published in the U.S. in April as The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep it off Forever.
After a month, Ive lost 16 pounds and my husband has lost 18. I had planned to lose a few more pounds, but when I took Dukans online test to find my correct weight, I found that I should weight 150 for my 58" frame. (The test is free on a British website, thedukandiet.co.uk). So at 148, Ive reached my goal and am now entering part 3, the Consolidation phase of the diet. The duration of this phase depends on how much weight youve lost. You multiply pounds lost -- in my case, 16 -- by 5, so that makes 80 days on Consolidation. Consolidation helps prevent a rebound.
We are still eating proteins and vegetables, avoiding oils or butter. I skin chicken and cut off fat from meat. We make a great no-oil salad dressing with mustard and cider vinegar, adding fresh herbs and onion or garlic. On Consolidation, one portion of fruit can be added a day. Dukan suggests an apple. Two pieces of whole grain bread are now allowed along with 1 oz. of hard cheese, like parmesan or gruyere. Twice a week you can have a portion of carbs like pasta or rice. And every day you must have 2 tablespoons of oat bran, plenty of water, and 25 min. of walking.
As a result of the diet, I have become aware of how much butter, olive oil, cream and cheese I used to use in my cooking. Bouillion- and onion-based sauces have replaced richer ingredients, but our meals are just as flavorful.One day, I couldnt pass our favorite Italian food shop without going in. I bought ravioli stuffed with ricotta and made a fat-free tomato sauce. The cheese and pasta werent allowed on the diet (at that point we were still on phase 2), but it gave me the will to continue with the strict protein meals, kind of like a carbohydrate binge for a runner.Now when a salad is swimming in oily dressing it doesnt seem healthy. When I was offered a cake at a friends house one bite was sufficientit tasted too sweet and rich.Its not all a long, hard slog. Dr. is French, after all! He allows for two "gala" meals a week. So we went with friends to a Michelin two-star restaurant and had a fantastic dinner. But we went back on the diet the next morning.Here are a few tips to make it work for you:Dukan insists that eating oat bran every day is an important element of his weight-loss regime, not only for its cholesterol-lowering properties but because it promotes healthy digestion. This delicious muffin recipe, packed with protein, can replace carbohydrates in the early phases of the diet when, except for the oat bran, carbs like bread, rice, and potatoes are forbidden.
Oat Bran Muffins12 tbs. oat bran2 eggs1 - 6 oz. fat free yogurt, (about 2/3 cup) - Try vanilla or fruit-flavored, fat-free yogurts instead of plain to give the muffin a sweeter flavor. tsp baking powderOne pinch salt1 tsp. cinnamon cup fat free milkMix the ingredients together and put into muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.It is imperative to drink at least 1 1/2 quarts of water a day to keep the kidneys and digestive tract in good shape, especially during the first two phases of the diet when you are eating mostly protein. Diet sodas are allowed within reason and so are coffee and teas, including ginseng and green teas.Dukan insists that to maintain weight loss for the rest of your life that one day a week of protein only foods is a must. He suggests Thursday. It is not uncommon these days to be in a Paris brasserie and hear someone order a steak or a plain grilled fish and tell the waiter Sil vous plait, pas de sauce! Its sure to be a Dukan follower on protein-Thursday. Connie Leisure is a writer who lives in France.
