Dukan diet

Dukan diet

The Dukan diet is a low-carbohydrate (carb), high-protein diet. There’s no limit to how much you can eat during the plan’s four phases, providing you stick to the rules of the plan. During phase one, you’re on a strict lean protein diet. This is based on a list of 72 reasonably low-fat protein-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, eggs, fish and fat-free dairy. This is for an average of five days to achieve quick weight loss. Carbs are off limits except for a small amount of oat bran. Unlike the Atkins diet, Dukan’s phase one bans vegetables and seriously restricts fat. The next three phases of the plan see the gradual introduction of some fruit, veg and carbs and eventually all foods. The aim is gradual weight loss of up to 2lb a week and to promote long-term weight management. There’s no time limit to the final phase, which involves having a protein-only day once a week and taking regular exercise.
Pros:
You can lose weight very quickly, which can be motivating. It’s a very strict and prescriptive diet and some people like that. It’s easy to follow. You don’t need to weigh food or count calories. Apart from keeping to low-fat, low-salt and high-protein foods, there’s no restriction on how much you can eat during your first two weeks.
Cons:
At the start of the diet you may experience side effects such as bad breath, a dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea from cutting out carbs. The lack of wholegrains, fruit and veg in the early stages of the diet could cause problems such as constipation.
BDA verdict:
Rapid weight loss can be motivating but it is unsustainable and unhealthy. The Dukan diet isn’t nutritionally balanced, which is acknowledged by the fact that you need a vitamin supplement and a fibre top up in the form of oat bran. There’s a danger this type of diet could increase your risk of long-term health problems if you don’t stick to the rules. The diet lacks variety in the initial phases so there’s a risk you’ll get bored quickly and give up.
 @lose weight in a moment
http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/

3 Day Diet

The 3 Day Diet touts quick weight loss, cleansing, lower cholesterol, and more energy.

It's a strict plan that must be followed exactly for three days. If you still want to lose more weight, you're supposed to eat normally for at least four or five days before starting over.

The 3 Day Diet promises up to 10 pounds of weight loss in three days. But most of that weight is likely to be fluid, not fat, so the results aren't likely to last.

What You Can Eat

The 3 Day Diet is very specific about portion size and the foods it includes.

The combination of the suggested foods supposedly creates a unique metabolic reaction that boosts fat burning. But there is no explanation of how that happens or proof that backs up those claims.

The plan also calls for dieters to drink 4 cups of water or no-calorie drinks daily.

Experts' Views

You're likely to lose weight on this plan, but it's not likely to last.

The calories are very low, notes Cindy Moore, former director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic (which is not associated with the diet).

"The plan yields about 1,000 calories a day, which has the ability to lower metabolism so when you revert back to normal eating, you regain weight even quicker," Moore says.

The diet is also monotonous and doesn't help you build better eating habits for the long run. "What good is it to go back to the old habits that caused the weight gain, without resolving weight issues?" Moore says. "Hands down, the 3 Day Diet is not conducive to changing habits or encouraging a healthier lifestyle, which are fundamental to weight control."

Bottom line: Choose a well-balanced weight loss plan that controls calories every day, includes exercise, and lets you enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods. To lose weight and keep it off, it is simply not enough to eat a prescribed diet for three days without addressing eating habits that cause weight gain.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.