Survival Tactics for the Dukan Diet Attack Phase

The Dukan diet Attack Phase is the commencement stage of the famous Dukan diet, pioneered by the French nutritionist Pierre Dukan. Although this phase is supposed to last about 7 days, most people find day 5 to be the magical day by when they would have lost about 2 to 4 pounds. The main purpose of this phase is to familiarise the dieter with the eating habits that needs to be inculcated for the successful culmination of the diet. In fact, what is instilled here will go on to become a lifelong habit with the dieter, should he or she decide to follow the Dukan diet.

During the Dukan diet Attack Phase, most people find that they experience immediate and significant weight loss, sometimes even up to 6 pounds in a week's time. In the latter stages of the diet, the weight loss would be gradual, as the body begins to adapt itself to the new regime. The first few days of the Dukan diet Attack Phase is the most challenging for dieters as not only is the body being steered out of its old eating habits (and possibly out of its addictions to certain foods like sugar and fat), it is also left craving for carbohydrates and this yearning is manifested by tiredness and exhaustion. In many cases a headache, although not exactly severe, but nevertheless noticeable, has been observed in many dieters during this segment of the diet. But these uncomfortable symptoms usually go away after the completion of the Attack Phase.

Another situation arising as a direct result of the new diet is constipation. This should come as no surprise as the Dukan diet involves the intake of more proteins than anything else; there is obviously going to be lack of dietary fibre which result in constipation. This is the reason that the Attack Phase emphasises the consumption of oat bran and wheat bran in addition to plenty of water. Water plays an important role in the diet as dehydration can lead to extra stress on the kidneys.

Large intake of protein can also generate bad breath, because of the fact that the dieting body undergoes ketosis. Here again, plenty of water as also chewing gum (making sure that it is sugar-free) should help alleviate bad breath generated during the Attack Phase.

During this rung of the Dukan diet, it is important not to skip meals or go hungry as most diet veterans are likely to do, probably due to force of habit. Exercise is not a favourite among dieters therefore the good news for the Attack phase is that excessive exercise is not encouraged during this segment. However, a very moderate exercise in the form of a walk lasting 20 minutes every day is necessary during this segment of the diet.