The Dukan Diet or the Atkins Diet?   by JJ Jenkins

in Health / Weight Loss    (submitted 2011-02-23)

Both the Dukan Diet and the Atkins Diet stay with the same objective. Above all to assist in shedding weight and second to decrease ingestion of carbohydrates from food. One other significant similarity is the number of phases that they share equally. Both of them offer four phases respectively. However, in order to meet the same objective, they adhere to two different paths. Where the Dukan Diet stresses on the use of high proteins to minimize carbohydrates, the Atkins diet does not. It stresses on the utilization of carbohydrates which it wants to first decrease and then finish off in the dieter’s diet.

Phase 1:
Where phase 1 in the Dukan Diet is known as the “Attack phase”, Atkins diet has named it the “Induction phase”. Even though the objective of the first phase is comparable (to decrease unwanted weight significantly), they proceed with distinctive techniques. Dukan stresses complete protein food in this first phase, scaling down all of the carbs and fat. Atkins focuses on cutting down the consumption of the carbs only, and then works on converting the body from burning mainly carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) to burning predominantly fat (including your body fat) for energy. Whilst there is no consumption of carbs in the Dukan Diet at all, Atkins diet will allow only 20 grams a day (including vegetables) in the first phase.

Phase 2:
Though goals stay the same, there's a dissimilarity in the routes in phase 2. The “Cruise phase” of the Dukan Diet is about how to reach the target weight and for the first-time lets the dieter to eat vegetables. The Atkins diet ensures that a small increase of 5gm to 10gm (25 to 30 grams each day) in the consumption of carbohydrates takes place in the first week of the phase “Ongoing Weight Loss” (OWL) until the weight stops to decrease so the dieter can easily determine when the maintenance period may need to start. Then the dieter is advised to subtract 5 grams of carbohydrates from their daily consumption to make sure they continue on with continual, reasonable weight-loss.

Phase 3:
The weight loss plans employ a different technique at phase 3, which is the “Consolidation phase” for the Dukan Diet and “Pre-maintenance” for the Atkins diet. For the Dukan Diet, this is the start of the maintenance period of the dieter’s “true weight” that was attained in phase 2. Where as at this phase the Atkins diet performs the preparations required by the Pre- maintenance period. The carbohydrate intake goes down again to obtain the goal weight.

Phase 4:
In this last phase, “Stabilization” for Dukan and “Lifetime Maintenance” for Atkins, it’s about showing the world that “Yes! I can stick with it!” At this stage both of the weight loss programs will make you ascend to the same platform. You will have to live the rest of your life in phase 4 of your respective diets, well done!

Eating is part of life and should be neither regimented nor sacrificed. The Dukan Diet promises those on a diet to shed weight by eating as much as they want with over a hundred common food items. The Atkins Diet has been around for 40 years and has been supported with over sixty scientific studies during this time period. In summary, both diets are designed to help one shed extra pounds. However, to lose weight the diets require the dieter to give up some foods, regardless of which one you consider.

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If you would like to learn more about the Dukan Diet click here.