The Dukan diet

Click here for your two-phase Dukan diet eating plan, plus Dukan diet recipes

So research says that the French are getting fatter, eh? Not in our experience. So if you’ve also wondered how our Gallic sisters stay slim and happy, here’s how – via a revolutionary new weight-loss plan. Allez!

If there's one thing guaranteed to turn bikini panic at baring our flabby white bits in public into bikini hysteria, it's baring them next to a perfectly tanned and toned Parisian. And they claim to eat cheese and drink red wine - yeah right! But now their secret's out. After topping the Amazon charts in France, 'The Dukan Diet' has crossed the Channel.

Created by Dr Pierre Dukan, it's a four-stage plan that offers the ultimate fast track to weight loss and maintenance with delish French-inspired recipes to keep your taste buds entertained.

With freedom from portion control and calorie counting, this diet works by limiting your food intake in the early stages to just protein; which, as it takes longer to break down than fat or carbs, satisfies your hunger for longer. Also, your body has to work harder - and therefore burns more calories - to break down meat, fish and fat-free yoghurt. As Dr Dukan says: "Proteins are the only viable option for a single food group diet as they are essential for life - and if the body doesn't get them it raids its own muscle for them."

Phase one: attack (1-10 days)

The Attack Phase consists of an almost exclusively protein diet. The amount of time you decide to stay on it will depend on you and your goals, but you can expect to lose up to around 2lb a day. There are 10 food categories to build your diet around and the best bit is that you can have as much as you like. Eating a mix of all or some of these foods will give you instant results.

● Lean meat - including grilled or roasted beef, veal or rabbit, but not pork or lamb as they're too fatty.
● Lean ham - pre-cooked, sliced ham is nutritionally comparable to fresh cuts and better for this diet as it tends to have a lower fat content.
● Poultry - any type, with the exception of goose and duck (unless they are wild), and excluding any skin.
● Fish - any variety - white, oily or smoked.
● Shellfish - all types are allowed.
● Eggs - can be eaten in any form provided they are not cooked in oil or butter. Herbs and any meat can spice up scrambled eggs or an omelette.
● Offal - only liver and tongue.
● Fat-free dairy products - as they contain practically only protein.
● Water - if you're hooked on hot drinks, fear not, tea and coffee are allowed (but don't add dairy milk) and you can have diet soft drinks.
● Oat bran - by including this in the diet, Dr Dukan says he quickly saw an improvement in results.

Try a Dukan oat bran gallette for breakfast. To make this delicious pancake, mix together 1½tbsp oat bran, 1½tbsp fat-free fromage frais or quark, 1 egg white and 1tbsp sweetener. Pour into a greased non-stick pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. If you make a batch they can be frozen or kept for up to a week in the fridge.

Phase two: Cruise (until you reach your perfect weight)

"The cruise phase will take you to your chosen weight," says Dr Dukan. This stage entails alternating days of eating pure protein, with days of eating protein and vegetables. All of the foods allowed during the Attack Phase are suitable for either day during this stage of the diet and you can eat as much as you like!

Most varieties of vegetables are allowed, but you can't have potatoes, peas and beans. Avocados, which are technically a fruit, are also forbidden because they're high in fat; and you must avoid lentils, rice and sweetcorn. Ideally, vegetables should be eaten raw so that you get the maximum vitamin hit, but if you really prefer them cooked, steam them instead.

Phase three: Consolidation (five days for every 1lb lost)

By this stage Dr Dukan says you should be at your ‘true weight' but he warns that this is only a half-victory, so don't fall off the wagon now and abandon the diet - keep going!

The length of this stage is based on how much weight you've lost; calculate five days for every pound dropped. Proteins and vegetables are now the basis of every meal and different food groups can be slowly introduced. But, at this point, all your hard work could easily be undone as your body wants to replenish its lost reserves, so take it slowly. Each day you should eat one serving of fruit, two slices of wholemeal bread and one serving of cheese (40g). And once a week you must eat two servings of starchy foods, such as pasta, couscous, lentils, beans, rice and potatoes. In addition, you can now have lamb and pork.

Dr Dukan advises that you revert to the pure protein diet one day a week and continue to eat oat bran throughout this time and the following stage. But the good news is that once a week in the first half of the consolidation stage and twice in the second, you are allowed a celebration meal. Translation - whatever you like!

Phase four: Stabilisation (indefinitely)

At this stage, your metabolism will be under control and you now have the freedom to eat more or less whatever you want. However, to avoid undoing all your hard work of the past few weeks, Dr Dukan's advice is to bear in mind the rules of the Consolidation Phase and live by these where possible, with protein and vegetables in abundance and everything else in smaller measure. And keep your weight steady by having one pure protein day a week and eating oat bran daily.

Click here for your two-phase Dukan diet eating plan, plus Dukan diet recipes

Click here to buy 'The Dukan Diet' from the Allaboutyou bookshop