MY TOP 5 DUKAN DIET TIPS

After being on the Dukan Diet for some time now, I thought I might pass along a few tricks and tips that might help others out along the way.

These tips and tricks help me stay motivated and ward off temptation!

1. Get your water in every day

It’s a lot of water, but I try to get in at least 64 oz every single day.  My weight loss stays pretty steady when I keep this constant.  If you’re having problems getting your water in, keep a bottle of water with you where ever you go.  Having it handy makes it easier.  Another trick – after I use the washroom, I drink a big glass.

2. Don’t let yourself get hungry!

This is a big one for me, especially when it comes to cheating and cravings – I’m much less likely to do either if I keep cottage cheese on hand and munch on a couple of spoonfuls throughout the day.  Staying satisfied makes it much easier to stay on track.

3.  Weigh yourself every day

I used to think that weighing yourself every day was seriously overrated and maybe a bit obsessive, but on the Dukan Diet, I’ve found that it makes it much easier to stay motivated.  Learning how the diet affects my weight loss has given me confidence.  For instance, I know before I step on the scale the morning after a veggie + protein day that I’m much more likely to have lost very little weight or none at all, but on the flip side, I always see a drop on a protein only day.  Because of this balance, it makes it super easy not to feel frustrated when the scale doesn’t move on some days.

4.  Plan to Cheat and Cheat Responsibly

I get a lot of questions about cheating.  While the book really doesn’t talk very much about cheating, I wholeheartedly promote it, as long as it’s done in a way that doesn’t cause you to fall off the wagon entirely.

ravings, hold them at bay by making a deal with yourself.  If you don’t cheat for a month, then have dinner out or make a special dinner at home.  Remember this deal, and look forward to that date.  Mark it on the calendar, and then follow through.  It will help you battle cravings.

When you go for that dinner, make sure it’s 90% Dukan friendly with very little carbs and no deep frying.  And be prepared, meaning don’t feel guilty – or surprised – if your weight goes up for a day or two.  By teaching yourself not to give in to instant cravings by making yourself patiently wait for a reward, you can keep yourself from going out of your mind.  As my husband says when I cheated with some lighter choices from the Chinese takeout menu, “You might not be in the game, but you’re still in the ball park.”

5. Keep your dates with you at all times.

If you’ve ready any of my day-to-day posts, you’ll notice that at the end of each post, I’m keeping tabs on how long I expect to be on the diet.

This is a number I was given from the Dukan Diet Calculator, available at the Official Dukan Diet website.  This number is not how long it’s going to take me to lose the weight – that number is much much lower – but rather it is the number for the entire diet, including my Consolidation phase.

By keeping this number in mind, I remind myself that it’s not just about losing the weight, but how long it’s going to take to keep the weight off for life.  That keeps the diet in perspective for me, and keeps me motivated.

I will say that keeping the weight loss completion date in mind helps too – that gives you a nifty little deadline for when you can start eating regular foods every day and have your two celebration meals a week.