Celebrities like Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz have contributed greatly in making the Dukan diet popular, which was created by Dr. Pierre Dukan, who is a French medical doctor. But what exactly is Dukan diet, which is said to helped so many people in losing weight?
The diet
The main aim of the Dukan diet is promoting long term weight loss and effectively maintaining it. To make this possible, the diet gives people a realistic goal, which they can achieve and maintain for the rest of their lives. The goal weight of a person is achieved by using a four-phase process – attack phase, cruise phase, consolidation phase and stabilization phase. Each phase can take a few days, months or even years.

The first phase
During the attack phase, the dieters should only eat lean protein and drink six glasses of water every day. They should also walk for 20 minutes and eat at least 1 ½ spoon of oat bran. This phase lasts for a week and then dieters can move on to the cruise phase.

Second phase
The cruise phase is the same as the attack phase except now you can eat some low-starch vegetables as well.

Third phase
During this phase, dieters can add one serving of any fresh fruit and two slices of any whole grain bread to their existing plan.

The final phase
In the final phase that is the stabilization phase, dieters can eat whatever they want but they must make sure to eat only protein for one day in a week.

How effective it is for weight loss?
Because of the calorie restriction, it's quite likely that you will lose weight following the Dukan diet. But many healthcare professional and experts say that the diet is too restrictive and may deprive one of the necessary nutrients required to fuel the body. Also, since the diet has some strict rules, it can get a little difficult for some people to follow it in the long run.

Verdict
Though you might be tempted to follow the celebrity Dukan diet, you must ask yourself if this diet fits your lifestyle. Also, it is important to speak with your doctor or physician before you start following the diet to achieve your weight loss goals.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician's advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.