the attack phase

Excerpt from the Daily Mail publication 23 April 2010.

The Dukan Diet starts with a short, sharp 'attack' phase where you eat nothing but protein - just meat, fish, eggs and no-fat dairy products. You can spend just one day here - or as many as ten days if you have a lot of weight to lose - and many people can expect to lose as much as 7lb in five days.

You may experience bad breath and a dry mouth during this pure protein phase. Both are signs that you are losing weight. You should welcome them as proof of success.

Ease them by drinking more water. Constipation may strike after four days on attack so add a tablespoon of wheat bran flakes to your oat bran. But keep drinking.

During this phase, eat freely any foods on the following list - eat as much as you want, whenever you want. You must adhere to this plan strictly.

Anything NOT on the list is forbidden ... for now:

1) Lean beef and veal or rabbit, not pork or lamb (trim all fat and avoid ribs as too fatty). Eat meat grilled, roasted or boiled and without using butter, oil or cream (not even low-fat versions).

You could also 'dry fry' it - rub the surface of a frying pan with a few drops of oil on kitchen paper. Lean minced beef can be prepared as burgers or meatballs (mixed with an egg, spices, capers or gherkins) or enjoy frozen beefburgers (if less than 10 per cent fat).

2) All chicken and turkey (not goose or farmed duck) but remove skin before eating and avoid the outside part of the wings (too fatty).

3) Ham if low-fat and lean, also cut rind off. Avoid deli, cured, and smoked hams (too fatty).

4) Beef, veal or chicken liver.

5) All fish white or oily, fresh, frozen, dried, smoked or canned (but not in oil or in any sauce containing fat), even crab sticks.

6) All crustaceans and shellfish.

7) Up to two eggs a day. Stick to 3 to 4 yolks per week if you have high cholesterol, but the white can be eaten without restriction.

8) Non-fat dairy products such as 0% yoghurt, fromage frais, quark, cottage cheese, and skimmed milk. Natural ( plain) and flavoured yoghurts (coconut, vanilla, lemon) are allowed without restriction, but non-fat fruit yoghurts (containing fruit puree) should be limited to two a day (or avoided if you want a lightning start to your attack phase).

9) Sweeteners (Canderel, Silverspoon Sweetener) or Stevia (a natural sweetener available from health food stores), vinegar, spices, herbs, garlic, onion, gherkins, pickled onions (as condiments, but not in large quantities), lemon juice (on food, but not to drink), mustard and salt (in moderation), sugar-free natural ketchup in moderation, sugar-free chewing gum (can slow down the mechanical swing towards eating whenever you feel under pressure).

Additional rules

Drink 1.5 litres of water per day (plain or carbonated) particularly at mealtimes to help you feel full. Tea, coffee and diet drinks (no more than 1 calorie per glass) can be included in this total.

Eat 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day (as porridge, sprinkled on yoghurt, or made into a pancake).
Walk briskly for 20 minutes every day. This is a non-negotiable doctor's prescription.

Avoid all butter and oil.