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Dukanians Talk

I had never liked my body, it was time to do something

By Audrey Published 07/26/2010

I saw on the Internet that there was a method which would give the best possible...

I had reached 18 stone 12 lbs... I was seriously obese

By Chris Published 07/26/2010

I'm called Chris. After dozens of diets with their damaging yo-yo effects......

The VID* of the week *Very important Dukanian

New York Marathon for my 50th birthday!

I'm called Martha, I'm 50 and I have just competed in the New York marathon where I was the first Belgian woman to...

Published 07/26/2010

Chat Online 30/07/2010's Session

mod : Good morning everyone ! And good afternoon to those in Australia! We are on the 30th of July, welcome to our live chat !All of your questions are welcome and we will do our best to answer to all of you. Today your live chat will be with Pierre DUKAN, Cathy, Sonja, Hannah and Jessica. The chat will last for one hour. Have a good chat!

pryiav : i just drink alcohol on the weekends, friday until sunday and no more that 3 glasses of what ever drink, wine, vodka, but no more than 3 or 4. do i have to stop during the second fase?

cathy : Hello Priyav, alcohol is not allowed but if it is not possible to avoid it totally, please don't have more than 2 glasses of wine. Thanks a lot and have a nice day

roundhill : Can i do another day of attack?

hannah : Hi roundhill,No there is no need for you to do another day of attack, you just need to avoid lapses and do some more exercise. You can do it!

deanne666 : I have for a long time drank 60mls of Aloe Vera gel every morning (Forever Living Products). is it ok to carry on taking it whilst on the dukan diet? I haven't taken it since starting just in case.

hannah : Hi deanne666 yes I would advise not to take the aloe vera gel so you did the right thing. Have a good day!

roundhill : I had mushroom omelette - but are mushrooms not allowed duing attack phase?

sonja : Hi Roundhill, I'm sorry but no mushrooms during the attack phase. Keep going!

roundhill : what about onions in the attack phase and going forward

Jessica : Dear roundhill, onions are allowed on attack phase only on seasoning quantity (1/2 one), same on PP days. But when it comes to PV days, you can go as much as you want.

Malibubuffy : Can we use olive oil

hannah : Hi Malibubiffy, no sorry no olive oil, butter or any other fat or grease is allowed. If you must have something to grease a pan for example you can put 3 drops of oil on some kitchen paper and lightly wipe it round the pan but please remember this counts as a tolerated food so is best avoided if possible.

beeps2010 : Is 400 grams of fat free yogurt too much per day?

Jessica : Dear beeps2010, you can have up to 1 kilo a day of fat free dairies, it's all up to you how you have it!

priyav : i dont understand when i am supposed to alternate between pv and pp days. i am in the cruise phase but how often during this time do i have protein only days. this is not clear

cathy : Hi priyav, as for example : if monday is a PP day, tuesday will be a PV one and wednesday a PP day, thursday another PV day, friday a PP day, etc... I hope that this explanation will help you.

mcginc91 : I find it extremely difficult to eat cottage cheese or eggs. Trying to eat them makes me feel nauseous and trying to swallow them makes me gag. Is that a big problem as I start the attack phase of your programme?

Jessica : Dear mcginc91, you can start on the attack phase even though you don't like eggs or cottage cheese. For eggs, try to have them incorporated in recipes such as muffins or pancakes, and swap cottage cheese for fat free plain yogurts. Enjoy!

elinordavis23 : Hi Pierre, I was wondering if supplements of evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil would be suitable in the program. I understand that normal oils are not allowed but as oily fish is allowed with its health benefits, I was wondering if I should continue to take these? Or will it slow the weight loss? I take 1-2 evening primrose oil capsules a day and 2 flaxseed oil (3-4g total). Thanks so much for your time! I had one false start of 5 days on the program doing it on my own with the book so I'm hoping I'll be able to stick to the program better with some coaching. Cheers! El

Pierre : Dear Elinor, Welcome aboard! I'm very glad to speak to you today for the first time. About the primrose oil actually it's a good oil full of omega3 with a big benefit for heart and health but oil is oil and any gramme of oil is nine calories so what you can do is to use it where you are on PV day as one teaspoon per day with vegetables . It's better not to cook it. But please don't take more because I don't want to slow down your weight loss. Have a nice day.

margaritakarli : good morning, it is the 4th day of my diet I am OK with my weigh but I already have constipation problem. Tell me your advise.

cathy : Hello margaritakarli, don't worry : don't forget to drink 1,5 to 2 Liters fresh water per day. I can advise you to drink one glass in the morning when you just woke up. You can have 100 g rhubarb (no sugar added) during PV days. Don't forget your daily oat bran and it is also available for physical activities : crunches will help you for sure. If this persists, please ask your doctor. Have faith!

chrissie1946 : I love eggs and find them more satisfying than anything. My cholesterol is not high, despite my weight, so can I really only have 5 eggs a week?

hannah : Hi chrissie1946 welcome to the chat, this is something that you can always talk to your doctor about but we would not recommend more than 1 egg yolk a day because they are high in cholersterol. On the up side you can have as many egg whites as you want, so to make an omelete or something this is good!

bodhisattva263 : I was reading the section on sugar-free flavourings in my recipe book and can't find where in the forums there is 'everything you need to know about flavourings' - has it disappeared? I also can't find them on the internet, so can't make the lovely recipes. Thank you.

Jessica : Dear bodhisattva263, you can find some here: http://www.lowcarbmegastore.com and can you please specify where in the forum?

elinordavis23 : Hi, I was wondering if it were possible to use Rice Bran instead of Oat Bran - Oat/wheat bran I have never been able to tolerate. What do you reccommend for lactose free as I have lactose intolerance so I have to avoid milk, and many yoghurts, including natural? Thanks for your help

hannah : Hi elinordavis23, thank you for your question. Firstly sorry there is no replacement for oatbran, but if you are intolerant that is ok you can leave it out. Rice bran is not the same at all and is not allowed. As for your lactose intolerence you can have up one plain soya yogurt a day and also one glass (15cl) of soya milk a day. Please note that these are tolerated foods so you should not go over this amount. Thanks

bodhisattva263 : Dear Dr Dukan, I saw the post on the chat today that said we can eat up to 100g of quorn per day, which is really useful to me as a vegetarian. Can you help me with using nuts? are they allowed, or are they too carby? aand how much tofu can I eat? Thank you.

Pierre : Dear Botdhisatt, if your are vegetarian you must tell me what type of vegetarian you are. You mean that you neither meat or fish. But what about eggs and dairies or seafood? For now I'm waiting for your answer. For sure you can eat 100 grammes of quorn and you can add tofu as much as you want. About nuts it's difficult to open the door of such food without a lot of precautions. Because you are a vegetarian and only for that reason, You can have two tablespoons of nuts and when I say tablespoon I mean the fullest as possible. I'm waiting for your answer. Have a nice day.

Daffy124 : After being unsuccessful for weeks I have managed to cut out carbs for 3 days - but only by eating lots of fat like the Atkins diet - I couldn't manage it on protein only without feeling ill, binging and ending up fatter than I was before I started. Fat helps me to stick to the low carb regime.

Jessica : Dear Daffy124, eating fat won't help you lose weight, that is for sure. By cutting out carbs, you force your body to go and burn the fat already there. The best way to manage on the diet is to eat plenty of proteins, they keep you full longer. You can add home made sauce with fat free yogurts, spices and herbs for the taste. But in any case you will lose weight by eating fat, even if you don't eat carbs. Maybe the best for you would be to ask your doctor's opinion about what would be the best suited diet for you.

Daffy124 : Do coffee and stevia cause an insulin response ?

hannah : Hi Daffy124, no as coffee and stevia are sugar free they should not cause a response. Do you have diabetes type one or two? Thanks

ren1234_1 : I keep reading about tolerated foods but i am unsure as to what they are?

Jessica : Dear ren1234_1, tolerated foods are like bonus, they are food items that are a bit richer than the 100 foods that we "tolerate" on the dukan diet. They are limited to 2/day. you can have the list here in the forum: http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/en/340,15,28,the-forums-community.html

Laanderson : Hello, I will be travelling on a long plane journey tomorrow and will be on my PP day of the Cruise phase. Do you have any suggestions for how to maintain this while in the airport/travelling? I have already requested a Low Fat/High protein meal... Thank you, Merci! x

hannah : Hi Laanderson, thank you for your question, I am sure a lot of people experience this! The best thing is if you can carry snacks with you, like a dukan galette, some yogurt or get some chopped up veg sticks but I know it can be difficult with plane travel! Just adapt as best as you can or try and eat before/straight after the flight, it is hard to ask without sauce as the meals are already prepared but it sounds like you are doing the best you can so don't worry about it!

Daffy124 : I started about a month ago but have put on weight since then - I get hungry and I binge. I haven't yet reached the not being hungry stage. The last 2 days in desperation I started eating lots of clotted cream which has suceeded in keeping me off the carbs. Help !

cathy : Hello Daffy124, as you probably know it, clotted cream is not allowed because it is too fatty. You have to resolve your binges problems : are you stressed ? Do you easily get bored ? If you feel hungry, have a look to your fridge and choose PP food which is allowed in the program. You will be quickly fully satisfied. Don't forget the recipe book, you will find a lot of sweet recipes which will calm down your hungry stage. I trust you, just calm down, play some little mind tricks like going out, having a bath, reading, having a phone call, etc. Everything will be ok.

chebsy : I am a vegetarian but most of the foods on my daily food instructions and shopping list is meat. How do i change this?

cathy : Hello Chesby, we are still working on the food exclusion list, you will soon manage to complete it. Meanwhile, just choose the food which you like, as for example tofu, Quorn, eggs, dairies... Thanks for your indulgence

fauziah55 : I've been taking Herbalife (Blended Soy and Whey Protein Powder) for the past three years - more for convenience sake as I don't need to think about what to eat so much. Can I continue with it?

Pierre : Dear Fauziah, I know very well this product and I think that is not really necessary to introduce this artificial way of eating. Humanity is not programmed to eat powder. Of course it could seem equivalent in nutrional content but it miss of the essential part of the food: natural consistancy and appearance. There is a link between the human brain and the food caracteristics; This link has been built during a billion of years and is imprinted in our genes and neurones. If you eat such a powder inspite of real and natural food, you will get the nutritments and the calories but not the natural, human and deep satisfaction of eating. That's very bad for the weight control. But Fauziah if sometimes you need to have a table spoon of Herbalife instead of missing a meal, please do it but the less often as possible.Have a nice day.

elinordavis23 : Thank you very much. I was wondering if the Dukan Diet has a reasonable calorie limit - I understand that eating proteins will decrease the time to you are next hungry and limit the insulin response as you have limited carboydrate intake. Is the main effect of the diet on weight loss due to reduced calories as your appetite is less and insulin response minimised?Thanks for your time - very interested! Is there a reasonable calorific limit for the dukan diet- ie.

hannah : Hi elinordavis23,The Dukan Diet is not concerned by counting calories. The diet is high in protein because protein is the most beneficial food type for the body and among many other things eliminates water retention, at the same time it is highly nutritional for the body. I wonder have you got the book the Dukan Diet? I think you might really enjoy it because Pierre Dukan explains the method in great length. Here is also list of the 10 most filling and satifying foods that you might find interesting...1. Oat bran2. hard bolied eggs3. Shrimps4. low fat normandy fromage frais5. Turkey6. Crab7. Tuna (tinned in natural juice)8. Sardines9. Chunky vegetable soup10. Poultry liver

paulakj : can I use coffeemate lite (coffee creamer) in my coffee and tea on the PP phase?

cathy : Hello paulakj, please tell us more about this beverage by sending us a message in your slimming appartment's mailbox (is it powder ? Liquid ?) Moreover, if you have the nutritional facts, it will help us to give you the good directives. Thank you and have a nice week-end !

reginamtzv : Hello! Is sugarfree marmelade/jelly allowed? Also, I see that Jell-o (gelatine) is not so popular in Europe, but in any case, is the sugarfree version allowed? It is great as a dessert. Thanks!

Jessica : Dear reginamtzv, marmelade is not allowed, even sugar free because it contains fruits and those are not allowed until the consolidation phase. Sugar free Jelly is allowed, under 10 calories a cup.

elinordavis23 : Thank you for the information. This might explain why I was having no luck in my first attempt for a week - I was taking 1tsp rice bran and having 2-3 glasses of lactose free milk (too much I now understand). Could I ask for your advice on the soy products - do these need to be 98% fat free also at least and/or have no added sugar? Thanks again!

hannah : Hi elinordavis23, Yes that most likely explains it. But not to worry you can now be on the right track! The soya products must not have any added sugar and it is best to get as low a fat percentage as possible, I am not sure you can get soya products as low as 2% fat...

justinemcf : Onken do a vanilla fat free yoghurt, am i allowed this ?

Jessica : Dear justinemcf, can you give me the nutrional informations?

Daffy124 : I have coeliac disease. Is there an alternative to oat bran for the oat bran pancakes please ?

cathy : Hi again Daffy124, there is unfortunately no alternative for oat bran if you have coeliac disease. Just avoid whey, rye, barley and oat from your meals. During the cruise phase, you can have up to 1 Tbsp corn flour (as a tolerate), so if you want to cook some Dukan recipes which contain oat bran, you can replace it by corn flour without forgetting tolerates conditions (2 tolerates per day).

Casakitz : I filled in the forms when I began and said I did not eat or like fish and yet my daily instructions are recipes for fish, it is so frustrating. Due to me not eating fish, I am finding it hard to be creative in what I eat. I am doing ok so far, I only started Monday night and I have lost 5 ibs already

hannah : Hi Casakitz, the exluded foods list is being worked on now and will be available very soon...thank you for your patience with this! Meanwhile please browse your recipe book in your slimming apartment for inspiration for non fish recipes, we have over 650 recipes in total so I trust that you will find something that tempts you! Have a good day

stockholm : Stockholm:I have sent in some questions about snacks, is it ok not to have the desserts in connection with the meals? I like to save them as snacks and have them with my cup of tea. I am on the cruise diet.

hannah : Hi stockholm, thank you for your question. Yes of course! You can use the menu suggestions how you like, please know that you can eat as often as you like and eat as much as you like so yes it is a great idea to have a dessert in the afternoon with some tea. Enjoy!

Daffy124 : Not yet - but I do have reactive hypoglycaemia - and was ill with chronic fatigue syndrome for many years and am still not 100%

cathy : Dear Daffy124, I think it would be better to do a complete check up, go and see your doctor and then, tell us more about your results.

justinemcf : i love to eat salad and have been missing this. I'm on the cruise phase at the moment, can u give me a few sugestions on green veg to take away the craving for salad

Pierre : Dear Justine, to answer to your question I could enumerate all the vegetables you can use and eat but that would take so long that I prefer to give you that instruction: eating any vegetable coming from earth or sea, with roots, des branches, leaves but not the following produces: potatoes, rice, corn, peas, lentillas and beans. Anyway you cannot be mistaken and do not forget you can eat them as much as you want. Have a nice day.

anitadavmart : I love fromage frais, and I usually have it when I am back home in Spain. I live in the UK though. Are you aware of where to get it in the UK?

hannah : Hi anitadavmart,yes in the UK it is called normandy fromage frais and you can get it from the supermarket. Remember to get the low fat (under 3% fat) version though. Enjoy!

anitadavmart : I have seen that canned tuna in brine is allowed. Is it also possible to have canned tuna in olive oil (fully drained of the oil)? Thanks

Jessica : Dear anitadavmart, oil is not an option. I'm sorry you can't have it, even if your tuna is drained.

bodhisattva263 : Sorry, one more question. Can I use soya milk and soya flour? Thank you so much.

cathy : Hello bodhisattva263, you can have up to 15 cL plain soya milk (with calcium addition if possible). However soya flour is forbidden. See you soon on a next Chat session !

anitadavmart : I love raw tomatoes and onions, is it possible to have them on the attack PP phase?

hannah : Hi anitadavmart for the attack phase as your is short it is best not to have onion and certainly no tomatoes. However you can have them on your PV days and you can have onion as a seasoning on your PP days for the future...please see you recipe book for examples and inspiration.

Taiita : Hi Dr Dukan I love your diet and it is working well for me. I just want to point out that here in Australia we have some very, very low fat cuts of pork and lamb. I know in Europe the lamb and pork is fattier as I lived in Belgium for a long time. The butchers here in Australia have found ways to cut the pigs and lambs up so that the meat can be leaner than chicken or beef. If this is the case, is lamb and pork still off the menu? I can send photos and dietary analysis if you want. Also, if I do a big work out at the gym (which I love doing) and burning 600-700 kcal in 90min can I drink more water that the 1.5L that you recommend? Many many thanks, Taiita

Pierre : Dear Taiita, thank you for this information. Maybe you can tell me more about the process of your butchers and how they prepare their meat. My rule is very simple: if the pork or lamb meats contain less than 10% of fat you can use them. It is classic to say that kangouroo is a specific animal of Australa. This meat is very hency and lean and of course you can use it as much as you want. For me it's better than pork and lamb Not only for calories but also for their content of saturated fat acids. Have a nice day;

johnevans1983 : hi this is my first day today, what can i have for brakfast

hannah : Hi johnevans1983 welcome to the Dukan diet! Why not start by making yourself a Dukan galette (see recipe in my kitchen>my cupboard) you can also have a fat free fruit flavoured yogurt or something like that. You will soon get into a rhythm of what you enjoy!

stockholm : Stockholm. Hello. When I was on another diet, the sk Insudiet, my French Doctor encouraged me to have snacks in the form of concentrated protein cookies an chocolate bars, before that I never ate anything with a sweet taste, but now I miss it a bit. I use your dessert recipes and they are quite satisfying, but I would like to know if I could use these products under any stage of the Dukan diet? The products I am talking about are for example Gelinea, which I buy at Carrefour in France. One chocolate bar is supposed to be a snack, two a meal.

cathy : Hello Stockholm, unfortunately these products are not allowed in the Dukan diet. Gerlinea's products are too rich in fat and in carbs, that's why they are forbidden. Just have a look to our Dukan yummy indulgences, those recipes will satisfy you, the choice is open ! Bon week-end

ren1234_2 : Thankyou for your response before. Are we allowed to have a latte made with skinny milk?

Jessica : Dear ren1234_2, Latte is fine as long as you only use skimmed milk and sweeteners.

ren1234_1 : hello,just a few questions:I was wondering if i can eat half of my gallette in the morning and the other half in the afternoon?also is pumpkin allowed during the cruise phase?is a yogurt with 5g of carbs per 100g ok to eat?during the consolidation phase can i have my starchy carb serve and my celebration meal in the same day?

Jessica : Dear ren1234_1, yes you can split your galette in 2 during the day, pumpkin is indeed allowed on PV days during the cruise phase, and also yes, 5g/100g ratio is ok for yogurts, as long as they are sugar free.

Daffy124 : My doctor knows nothing about nutrition and my fatigue is to do with blood sugar levels. When I am off carbs I am fine. I am just finding it difficult to do the first few days. I would like to start again and have a new goal date because my current chart is now unachievable.

cathy : Daffy124, please write us a message in your slimming appartment's mailbox and precise all these things. We will do our best to help you. Thanks a lot.

chrissie1946 : I'm new and still finding my way around - where can I find a list of 'tolerated foods' - I've mentioned cream cheese in another question - is that tolerated as well?

hannah : Hi chrissie1946, please see the following link for tolerated foods http://www.dukandiet.co.uk/en/340,15,28,the-forums-community.htmlHave a look and send us a message by email if you have any questions about it. They are basically foods that are a bit richer but allowed in limited quantities but you must not have more than two a day so maybe save thel for a day that you are struggling and would like a treat!

mod : thanks to have chat with us! This is the last question!

elinordavis23 : Thank you! I think it is a fantastic looking dietary plan - and the only one that ensures you eat plenty of meat, dairy and vegetables forever. Thank you Dr Dukan!

Pierre : Dear Elinor, thank you for your answer and so nice message. I'm so glad to be in contact with so many English speaking people. I'm surprised to understand that despite of the so called different customs between French, Spanish, Corean, Americans, Polishes, Italians and of course Uk people are quite similar concerning 2 coming my 100 foods 72 coming from the animal kingdom and 28 coming from the vegetable world. That is the reason why my diet works. Until you have reached your true weight. This 10 foods are not only natural, they are the foods of our origins those of the hunter and gatherer man. To lose weight is a natural activity. Man is the only animal able to keep him from eating for health and personal reasons. To help him I have set up this method : being back to our natural origins to fight against exceeds of our civilization. Have a nice day.

mod : The chat is now over, thank you to everyone for your participation. We hope that you enjoyed it! The history of this chat will be available to view later on today so those who might have missed it can see what we discussed.If we didn?t get a chance to answer your question, please don?t hesitate to send us an email so we can answer you that way.Thanks again and see you for the next chat really soon!