Dukan Diet Journal: How I lost 14 pounds in 3 months

I've been putting up a weight over the years, let's say about 2 pounds each year. After 5 or 10 years, that's a good 10 pounds.   I've been yo--yo-ing, gaining after each trip, every Christmas holidays and so on.  I've been cutting down on rice for several years, I've maintained my weight fairly well except that in recent years, I've not lost what I've gained.  My belly grew bigger and awfully in layers and buttons are bursting.

One day, I've decided to go on an executive health check.  It has been four years since the last time and I scored perfectly well that time.  This time, I've got a couple of red marks, from normal levels, my cholesterol and many more shoot up to above normal levels.

Why I Decided on Dukan Diet:

It has been weeks since I was contemplating to go on a diet.  My cousins were on either Dukan Diet or Cohen Diet.  This health check was a wake up call, a confirmation that I've been eating more than I should.

Cohen Diet has been a fairly balanced diet but in controlled portions, while Dukan Diet is an eat all you can diet out of a list of allowed food.  Cohen Diet will cost at least P60,000 to enroll while Dukan Diet would have cost me $10 for a book (but I got a copy for free).

Between portions and eating all you, between P60,000 and something free, going for Dukan Diet was a no brainer.  With Dukan Diet, I have also seen a cousin of mine who all along I thought has pear shaped body (bottom heavy), I would think that she was born with that shape, her journey was an inspiration, she is now unbelievable slim.  This was my greatest motivation, if she can do it, why can't I, who's naturally small built and all my life not really fat but a little chubby.

Dukan Diet also clearly laid out a list of allowed food, which give one a very little excuse to cheat.

How I Prepared to go on Dukan Diet:

1. I had to read over and over again the mechanics of the diet.  I didn't have the book at that time, I relied on their UK website www.dukandiet.co.uk/  or US website http://www.dukandiet.com/ and quite a number of people has shared their personal journals on line. 
2. I had to convince myself that I can do it, more importantly, prepare myself mentally and made a decision to go for it.
3. I went to grocery (a couple of times) and made sure I had enough food/ingredients, no excuses to cheat.
4. The day before I started the diet, I cooked my favorite food of pasta and had red velvet cheesecake.
5. I timed it before Christmas so I won't gobble up all the food from the numerous Christmas party, and I need to do it now in time for Christmas Eve's celebration meal.
6. Setting a goal, although I'd be happy if i lose just 5 pounds, losing 12 pounds is a bonus. (at the end of the diet, I lost 14 pounds, wohooo!)

What You Need To Know:

1. The 4 Phases of the Dukan Diet http://www.dukandiet.com/The-Dukan-Diet/4-Phase
1.  Attach Phase - all protein and non fat dairy to shock your body
2. Cruise Phase - alternative protein and protein & vegetable day
3. Consolidation Stage - protein & vegetable every meal with 2 celebration meals
4. Stabilization Stage - pure protein thursdays for the rest of your life
2. The role of oat bran in the diet http://www.dukandiet.com/The-Dukan-Diet/Oat-Bran
3. Finding your true weight and how long you'll be on the diet http://www.dukandiet.com/
4. The possible side effects http://mydukandiet.com/dieting/dukan-diet-side-effects.html
5. List of 100 allowed food http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/en/780.html

 The official 100 Eat As Much As You Want Foods list

MEAT AND OFFAL - lean portion only

Beefsteak, breasola/air-dried/wind dried beef, calf's liver, Fat reduced bacon, fillet of beef, game, kidney, pre-cooked ham slices (without any fat or rind), rabbit, roast beef, rumpsteak, sirloin steak, tongue, veal chop, veal escalope


POULTRY - excluding flat billed poulty and skin
Chicken, chicken liver, guinea fowl, ostrich, pigeon, poussin, pre cooked chicken and turkey slices, quail, turkey


FISH - all kinds of fish except those canned in oil

Bass, cod, seafood sticks, dab/lemon sole, dover sole, grey mullet, haddock/smoked haddok, hake, halibut/smoked halibut, herring, mackerel, monkfish, plaice, pollock/coley, red mullet, salmon/smoked salmon, sardines, sea bream, skate, swordfish, trout (rainbow and salmon), tuna, turbot, whiting

SEAFOOD -- all kinds of seafood except those canned in oil

Calamari/squid, clams, cockles, crab, crayfish/crawfish, dublin bay prawns, lobster, mussels, prawns/shrimps, oysters, scallops, whelks.

EGGS

Hen's eggs, quail's eggs


DAIRY PRODUCTS - non fat / low fat cheese

Cottage cheese (low fat), fat free fromage frais, fat free Greek yogurt, fat free yoghurt (o% fat of fruit flavored yoghurt is allowed upto 2 servings a day), Quark (low fat), skimmed milk


VEGETABLE "PROTEINS"

Konjac, oat bran, tofu
VEGETABLES


Artichoke (globe), asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery/celeriac, chicory, courgette, cucumber, fennel, French beans, kohlrabi, lamb's lettuce, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, palm hearts, peppers, pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, soya bean sprouts, spinach, tomato