Kate Middleton's Diet- Lean or Extreme?
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Get the skinny on the Princess's eating habits
Ever wondered how many a French woman, and one rather famous Brit keep looking so slim and gorgeous without slaving away at the gym or picking at bland, boring meals? It's dubbed the Dukan diet and while some have labelled Kate Middleton's eating habits extreme, there's no doubt about it, she's kept lean and stunning post-pregnancy.
When rumours first started doing the rounds that Princess Catherine and her mother were trying out a new weight loss plan known as the Dukan Diet, naturally everyone and their mothers wanted to get it on it. There's even talk of Jennifer and Gisele Lopez giving the eating plan a go.
The Skinny on the DukanHere's the low-down. This particular diet was created by a French doctor called Pierre Dukan. Dr. Dukan is said to credit his kilo-dropping tricks with the real reason so many French ladies manage to stay slim without neglecting divine meals or sweating it out at the gym for hours on end. Sounds like heaven, doesn't it?
So we've done a little research to give you what you need to know about this diet if you're wanting to shed a few kilos for an upcoming function or just because you realise summer's on its way and it's time to get bikini ready. The 4 steps below are the essentials to the Dukan Diet. Extreme or lean? You decide.
Step 1: The Attack Phase
The first part of the plan limits food into just one of the food groups, protein. While no food other than pure egg whites are pure protein, the aim is to eat meals and snacks that are made up of food whose composition is as close as can possibly be to pure protein. So grab some fish; lean meats; non-fat dairy products; poultry and other seafood next time you're at the store.
Dr. Dukan claims this step is easy for absolutely everybody to follow. Even the most averse dieters out there. Protein keeps you fuller for longer so you won't be reaching for the junk food too soon. You should remain in this phase for between two to seven days but it depends on how much weight you're looking to lose.
Step 2: Cruise Phase
The next step is to start alternating the protein-heavy stage with the same diet and include any cooked or green vegetables - as much as you eat basically. Alternate daily between the two which Dukan claims will help to burn heaps of calories. There's no particularly special protein or veg breakdown, you can eat whichever you feel like in whichever combination you want.
Remain in this step until you reach your target weight which should take around five days for every kilo you want to shed. While it might sound a little boring the good Doc swears that since you can eat as much as you like, the satisfaction through quantity will make up for lack of variety.
Step 3: Consolation PhaseThis phase has also been referred to as the soothing phase. The good news is that it is as good as it sounds. You get to add two slices of bread during this phase along with cheese and a portion of fruit to your daily intake. You can also enjoy two servings of carbs along with two ‚"celebration" meals each week.
For every kilo you've lost up to this step, stick to phase 3 for five days. For example, if you've dropped five kilos during step 2, stay in the Consolation Phase for 25 days. It does sound like a really long time but the most common reason people fail to keep off the weight they've lost, according to Dukan, is that they reintroduce heavy foods too soon. You need to ease your body back into a normal eating plan so that all that work doesn't go to waste.
Step 4: Permanent Stabilisation Phase
This is when you get to go back to enjoying a delicious and varied diet - but it will still be healthy and you won't need to put much thought into it. Except for one day a week where you have to return to the Attack Phase.