There will always be celebrity-favorite diets, top-pinned recipes + food myths trying to get us to cut this grain or amp up that protein. At the start of the year (post-resolutions, natch ;) we highlighted some of the best and worst diets in 2015, but there’s a brand-new one making waves across the web — the Dukan Diet, which is currently the most searched for diet according to Yahoo!. Our curiosity got the best of us, so we had to see for ourselves what this new craze was all about.
The Dukan Diet — named after Pierre Dukan, the Frenchman who created it — is a four-phase weight loss system broken down by some pretty strict rules. With two phases focused on losing the weight and two on keeping it off all while eating as much as you like, it’s no wonder it’s got a fair share of fans. Discover each part of the diet plan below.
1. The Attack Phase
This first phase is where you kick-start the diet. For up to 10 days — ideally you should only do this for 2 to 5 — you are supposed to eat meals that are solely made up of proteins. By combining a variety of 68 high-protein foods, from oat bran to meats + tofu in unlimited quantities with 6 to 8 cups of water per day, you’ll be flushing your body, which according to the diet’s website results in immediate and noticeable weight loss.
2. The Cruise Phase
After “attacking” all the proteins your heart + stomach desire for an appropriate number of days, the transition to round two can begin. In this phase you’re able to alternate between strictly protein days and protein + starch-free vegetable days (think carrots, kale, squash, etc) for a total of 100 “natural foods” to choose from. In order to get to what the diet plan calls your True Weight, this phase will last 3 days for every pound you want to lose.
3. The Consolidation Phase
The third stage of the Dukan Diet is designed to prevent your body from quickly regaining all the weight it just lost. By gradually adding in previously forbidden foods — aka starch — in limited quantities to your other high protein + vegetable meals twice a week, your body will get used to these carbs without you carb-loading. While this segment of the plan doesn’t deal with losing more weight, it is still strict. This one lasts for 5 days for every pound lost in the Cruise Phase (where Thursday is a purely protein day).
4. The Stabilization Phase
The final round of the diet lasts for the rest of your life ;) While you’re technically allowed to eat whatever you want, there are three rules that are non-negotiable: You must eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day, walk at least 20 minutes every day and have a pure protein Thursday every week. So never say goodbye to that Attack Phase menu.
If this diet plan sounds far too strict for you (*raises hand*), there’s always this cheat sheet that we’re gonna stick with instead. Budget-friendly, non-strict healthy eating for the win!
Have you or will you try the Dukan Diet? Let us know in the comments.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.