Rosie - “The ultimate diet” – where have we heard that before?

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about the “Dukan Diet”, which has actually been around for 10 years but of course is coming into the limelight because a whole load of celebrities have jumped on the band wagon and proclaimed how amazing it is.

I read this article today in the Daily Mail online – here’s the link -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1267106/The-ultimate-diet-The-French-kept-secret-years-Now-protein-rich-Dukan-Diet-coming-Britain.html. It talks about the Dukan diet at length; needless to say mostly the positives. So, what am I going to do? Talk about the negatives – of course!

A quick run down – the Dukan diet is basically a four stage plan. Very strict for the first period of time – protein and water ONLY (!). Then you can start integrating other foods into your diet until you are eating all the major food groups. Simple, non?! And – where have we heard that before? Atkins ring any bells?!

Before I really pick this diet to pieces of course there ARE positives. However, what I am saying below can be applied to ALL DIETS EVERYWHERE.

And that is what they are, diets. ANY diet that cuts out major food groups is NOT good for you. Cutting out carbohydrates is lethal. Your body NEEDS carbs to be able to run, to fuel your muscles, brain and everything else. Carbs aren’t the enemy here, it’s us and how we eat them.

Also remember, any diet that cuts out food groups is… simply… cutting calories. Your cutting the crap from your diet, which is why you lose weight. It’s not about the “diet” itself and how amazing it is.

I quote from the article here; “the diet starts with a dramatic and rapid weight loss, and leads on into a structured, but simple long-term, real-food regime that ensures you never regain the weight you've lost”.

However, that “simple, long-term, real-food regime” will probably just be sensible eating! That’s the thing about diets – all you need to do is calorie control. You don’t have to count calories, just be sensible. Anything that means you lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks is not good for your body. It causes your metabolism to slow, you crave crappy food, and when you DO eat normally again, your body clings to any fat it can as it thinks it’s been starved. Result? You put ALL that weight back on… unless you have the will power of Victoria Beckham which, sorry to be harsh, you probably don’t as you wouldn’t need to diet in the first place if you did.

Ladies (and gents, if it applies) – DON’T diet. Eat sensibly, enjoy a treat occassionally, keep active, keep exercising, keep busy and your body will do the rest. I rest my case.