During this phase, you alternate days when you eat only proteins and days when you eat proteins and vegetables. You will be in this phase until you reach your weight loss goal.
This next phase consists of two alternating diets. This is the workhorse stage where you alternate pure protein days with days when you include a delicious array of unlimited vegetables to your wide selection of meat, fish and no-fat dairy products. Expect to lose around 2lb a week.
The most efficient way to work this stage is to spend one day on the pure protein 'attack' diet (above), and the next on a protein and vegetable diet, switching between the two, one day at a time, until you reach your chosen weight.
However, some people prefer to work to a rhythm of five days of protein followed by five of protein plus vegetables, or, if you have only a little weight to lose, try two days of pure protein (say Mondays and Thursdays) with every other day protein combined with vegetables.
Both had been adviced by Dr Dukan, but the first one ( one day/ one day) is easier because you don't get bored eating proteins only during 5 consecutives days and you can still have a social life ! The results have been proven to be the same.
Now you can introduce the following vegetables:
- raw, steamed, boiled or baked (in foil)
- with your meat or fish: artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, broccoli, cabbage (white, red, savoy, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprout), celery/celeriac, chicory, courgette, cucumber, fennel, French beans/ mangetout, leeks, mushrooms, onion, peppers, pumpkin, radish, salad leaves (lettuce/rocket/watercress), sorrel, soya beans, spinach, swede, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip.
-carrots and beets (moderatly because they contain big amount of sugar)
-Artichoke is allowed but in very limited quantities. (better avoid it)
It is time for you to rediscover the pleasure of going to the fresh market and favor season veggies :
One fruit is allowed !
Rhubarb !
All the starchy food is still banned:
- rice, potatoes, corn, all peas and beans, lentils and avocados (fatter than peanuts and considered a fruit)
You can mix and match proteins and vegetables as you want, but don't make the mistake of solely eating vegetables during the PL phase. You need to feed yourself with proteins.
In principle, you can eat as many of these vegetables as you like, whenever you like, but if you want speedy weight loss, it's best not to eat vegetables with complete abandon - better to eat until you no longer feel hungry.
-Dressing:
As mentioned before, oil is not your friend in this diet program. You need to use some fat free, no sugar-added dressings. Central Market has a very good one. Or be creative, use lemon juice, fat free yogurt, vinegars (my favorite: raspberry), herbs or spices.
-Cooking method:
No oil. No butter. Use some cooking spray or boil them in water with some spices. Or even better buy a steamer and some fresh organic veggies from Whole foods. You'll rediscover the genuine taste of the veggies you like !
Another favorite is BBQ (especially the asparagus !!). You can also cook the vegetables directly with fish or beef and take advantage of some of the fat from the meat (like in a stew).
This phase will lead you to your target weight. You can expect on average to loose 2 to 3 lbs per week eating as much as you want. Of course there will be some days, even weeks, where the weight loss may not be, unfortunately, what you expect. Hang on there !! This is normal, especially during the PL sub-phases, but as long as you keep alternating PLs and PPs, you should enjoy roughly that rate.
Don't worry if your weight loss plateaus occasionally on vegetable days. This is merely water levels resetting themselves. Stick with it. The weight will fall off.
