Dukan Express Diet “Ladder” - menu, reviews and results

Dukan's Ladder Principle

“The Ladder” is not such a strict nutrition program as the protein weight loss method presented by the same author. The average rate of weight loss per week is about 700 grams. The diet got its name “Staircase” due to the fact that it is divided into 7 conventional steps. Each step is 1 day in the weight loss program. Each new day, the nutritionist allows you to introduce 1 product, thus gradually expanding the menu.

The weekly diet is structured according to the following plan:

The first day of the week is Monday, the diet should consist exclusively of protein foods. The doctor allows you to eat lean meat. On this day, lamb, beef or pork, as well as semi-finished meat products, are absolutely prohibited. You can eat low-calorie dairy products (with the exception of cheeses). You should also not include yoghurts containing sugar, fruits or other additives in your menu.
On the second day, you can diversify your menu with vegetables. Any plant food is allowed, except potatoes, beets and carrots. You can season vegetables with soy sauce and lemon juice. Vegetable oil is not used, the same goes for mayonnaise.
On Wednesday you can include any two fruits in your menu. Prohibited: grapes, mangoes, figs, bananas, dates and dried fruits. You should limit your portion of fruit to 150 grams per day.
The fourth day involves expanding the menu with bread. Preference should be given to bread baked from premium wheat flour, but without added sugar and yeast. You can eat no more than 60 g of bread per day. Fruits should also be limited; on Thursday, no more than 100 g are eaten.
The fifth day can be called a cheese day, since the author of the method allows you to eat, in addition to the main products, a piece of cheese weighing no more than 50 g. Preference should be given to homemade varieties of cheese, preferably feta cheese. The fat content of hard cheese should not exceed 20%.
On Saturday the menu can be considered quite varied. On this day you are allowed to eat a portion of porridge, durum wheat pasta or a bean dish. A serving should not weigh more than 150 g.
The last day of the week has the most varied menu. All foods are allowed, except sweets, fatty and fried foods, and semi-finished products. A glass of wine is allowed. You should not overeat large amounts of food.

New Dukan Diet. Light version

French nutritionist Pierre Dukan presented a new book, “The Nutrition Ladder: The Second Front,” which, without exaggeration, can be called revolutionary. This is essentially an alternative version of the Dukan diet.

“I have opened a second front in the “war” against excess weight,” Dr. Dukan announced his brainchild. According to him, the first front (the famous 4-stage diet) helped millions of people lose weight, but the required effort and motivation turned out to be too much for many. Therefore, the Nutrition Ladder is another solution for such people.

This diet is primarily suitable for those who lost excess weight on the “first front”, but some of the kilograms have returned, and there is no strength to start all over again from the very beginning. Also, this diet is designed for people for whom losing weight in the shortest possible time is not an end in itself, or for whom rapid weight loss is harmful to health. If you prefer to follow your own pace, gradually lose excess weight without giving up a glass of wine, a piece of cheese or chocolate, then the new diet is for you.

The “nutrition ladder” is a less strict protein diet. At the same time, weight loss averages 700 grams per week. It is called a staircase because the week is divided into 7 steps, each of which is 1 day. The idea is that every day you will expand the range of permitted products. For example, Monday - protein (lean meat, fish, low-fat dairy products, tofu, eggs), on Tuesday you can already add vegetables (except for legumes and starches), on Wednesday - fruits, on Thursday - two slices of whole grain bread, on Friday - a piece of cheese, on Saturday - starchy, and on Sunday - a festive dinner.

Accordingly, depending on how many kilograms you plan to lose, you decide how long your diet will last. Of course, oat bran remains mandatory on this diet. Walking for at least 30 minutes daily is also recommended.

Pierre Dukan reminds us that once the desired weight is reached, a little more effort needs to be put in to avoid the effects of weight gain. To stabilize the achieved result, as in the previous version of the diet, for each kilogram lost - 10 days of the “Consolidation” stage, which corresponds to Saturday’s “Nutrition Ladder”. The “Stabilization” rules also remain: 1 protein day per week, daily consumption of oat bran and 20 minutes of walking.

*List of acceptable products

– 0% yogurt with fruit (1 pc. – 125 g glass) – soy natural yogurt (1 pc.) – corn starch (1 tbsp. or 20 g) – soy flour / corn starch (1 tbsp. or 20 g) – Extra light Philadelphia (30 g) – cheese up to 7% fat (30g) – French processed cheese Cancoillotte up to 7% fat (40g) – sour cream (Crème fraiche) up to 3% fat maximum (1 tbsp. l. or 30 g) – unsweetened cocoa 11% fat max. (1 tsp or 7 g) – wine (add when cooking) (3 tbsp or 30 g) – skim coconut milk (no more than 100 ml per week) – poultry sausage 10% (100 g) – soy milk (1 tbsp. or 150 ml) – rhubarb (100 g on BW days, and without restrictions on BW days) – natural Actimel 0% (1 pc) – Gazpacho (store-bought) (1 cup or 150 ml) – sweet soy sauce (1 tsp or 5 g) – syrup 0% (20 ml) – sorrel – 100 g – Goji berries – 1 tbsp. l.

Duration of Dukan's Ladder

As for the duration of Dukan's Ladder, it can be practiced depending on how much weight a person wants to lose. Bran is a must-have product. They should be consumed throughout the entire weight loss process.

It is equally important to take walks, which should take half an hour or more a day. The author of the method teaches his followers not to give up the diet immediately after achieving the desired results. Otherwise, the weight can come back very quickly.

It is necessary to achieve stabilization of body weight correctly. Each kilogram of weight lost must be multiplied by 10 days. That is, if a person has lost 3 kg, then for 30 days he needs to eat those foods that are allowed on the sixth day of the “Ladder”. It is important to have a protein fasting day once a week and consume oat bran daily. We must not forget about walking, which in the “Stabilization” phase of the “Staircase” diet should last at least 20 minutes a day.

Advantages of the "Staircase"

The Dukan diet “Ladder of Nutrition” attracts with the following advantages:

A variety of approved foods prevents the accumulation of excess protein.
If the body is healthy, side effects such as kidney or digestive problems are excluded.
The food basket attracts with its variety. In addition, every Sunday you are allowed to have a “feast”: eat whatever you want.
The lightweight express version gives more freedom in choosing food, but involves higher physical activity: long walks or a set of exercises. This is necessary in order to establish a balance between calories eaten and calories spent.
A new eating method can be practiced for as long as you like: from 7 days to a month or more.
The weight comes off gently and gradually, approximately 700-1000 g in 7 days.
From the old version of unloading, two basic rules migrated to the new one - regular walks and oat bran at each step.
The Dukan express method is different in that the list of allowed products expands every day, and after the desired result is achieved, you just need to consolidate it.

Who is the Dukan Express Diet suitable for?

The Dukan Express Diet can be recommended to the following categories of citizens:

People who followed a diet and successfully lost weight, but some of it returned. You can use the proposed express diet to get rid of the gained kilograms if you do not want to switch to a full-fledged weight loss program.
People who are unable to limit themselves to eating their favorite foods for a long time.
People who want to lose weight smoothly and without harm to their own health.
People who are at risk of exacerbation of chronic diseases due to stricter diets.
Women who want to lose weight after childbirth and are no longer breastfeeding.
Overweight teenagers.

New express program for those who want to lose weight

Pierre Dukan recently developed a new weight loss program designed for 7 days. The ladder is an ideal option for those who are familiar with the Dukan nutrition system, but cannot adhere to long-term restrictions.

A distinctive feature of the new “Ladder” diet is more gentle requirements for the daily diet, slower weight loss compared to the traditional protein program. The duration of the light version depends on the amount of excess weight.

The Dukan Ladder Express Diet is based on the following principles:

daily water intake – at least 2 liters;
every day you need to eat 20 grams of oat bran;
no alcoholic drinks;
regular physical exercise for ½ hour daily.

The “Ladder” program - for 7 days a week a person eats a certain set of foods, while not forgetting the above rules. Anyone who wants to lose weight figuratively moves up the stairs towards their goal.

List of approved products

You can eat the following foods during the Dukan Express Diet.

Meat:
beef (steak, tenderloin, roast beef, tongue, escalope), veal (kidneys and liver), turkey, chicken and pork ham, basturma and jerky.
Fish
: catfish, cod, halibut, hake, haddock, flounder, dorado, saury, pike, mullet, trout, sprat, sardines, carp, tuna, sturgeon, salmon, stingray.
Seafood:
crab sticks, crab meat, sea fish caviar, scallops, squid, lobsters, oysters, mussels, cuttlefish, crayfish, lobster, sea urchin, whelk, shrimp.
Poultry meat:
chicken, ostrich meat, turkey, quail, guinea fowl, chicken liver.
Eggs:
quail, chicken.
Dairy products:
all low-fat cheeses, cottage cheese. Kefir, milk, yogurt, processed cheese, curd cheese with 0% fat content.
Vegetables:
beets, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, soybeans, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, pumpkin, sorrel, cucumbers, chicory, celery, onions, green beans, turnips. Cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage and other varieties.
Mushrooms:
any.

New express program for those who want to lose weight

The Dukan Ladder Express Diet is based on the following principles:

daily water intake – at least 2 liters;
every day you need to eat 20 grams of oat bran;
no alcoholic drinks;
regular physical exercise for ½ hour daily.

Basic diet rules

Physical activity should be regular. You need to walk at least 20 minutes a day.
To burn maximum calories, you need to stop using the elevator and escalator. The stairs must be climbed on foot.
On the first day of the “Ladder” diet, very little fiber enters the body, so you must drink at least 1500 ml of water.
The drinking regime should be observed throughout the diet. You need to drink about 2 liters of water per day. This volume includes teas, liquid from soups, and juices.
Oat bran must be included in the daily menu on a mandatory basis. They help normalize digestion, cleanse the intestines and have sufficient nutritional value.
When the desired result is achieved, it must be consolidated. You should adhere to proper nutrition for a certain period of time (10 days for each kilogram lost). These days are considered consolidating.

The menu may consist of the following dishes:

Protein products;
Fruits and vegetables (with the exception of grapes and bananas);
Low-fat cheese – 1 serving;
Whole grain bread – 2 slices;
Products containing starch - no more than 200 g per day.

Dukan Diet Recipe - Light Version "Nutrition Ladder"

Diet type

- protein

Weight loss

— 700-1000 grams per month

Pierre Dukan continues to improve his diet. Most recently, he introduced a light version of his famous diet, which is described in the book “The Nutrition Ladder.”

Its main difference is ease of use. It is no secret that not every person can withstand all stages of the classic diet of Pierre Dukan. This is especially difficult for people who are very overweight. After all, the duration of all stages of the diet in this case can reach a year. Agree that not every person is able to follow a diet for such a long period of time.

The “Nutrition Ladder” or Light version of the Dukan diet is an alternative for many people who, for one reason or another, cannot lose weight as quickly as the main diet recommends.

Who is the light version of the diet suitable for?

- for people who do not want or cannot lose weight quickly;

- in the presence of chronic diseases in which strict diets can harm health;

- in adolescence, in the postpartum period after stopping breastfeeding;

- for those who began to recover after the main Dukan diet, but do not want to go through all the difficulties of this diet again.

The point of the diet is that the whole week is seven steps on your weight loss ladder. And for each such day there is a specific menu, which will expand every day. If on Monday / the first day of the diet / you can only use permitted protein products, then on Tuesday vegetables are added to the menu, on Wednesday - fruits, and so on. On Sunday, which corresponds to the seventh step on your weight loss ladder, the menu is the largest. In addition to protein products, vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, starchy foods, you can treat yourself to a holiday meal.

This ladder will allow you to lose weight comfortably and safely, allowing yourself small holidays. However, it is very important to follow the recommended menu, take 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran daily and walk for at least 30 minutes a day and drink enough water. Only then will your weight loss be successful and enjoyable. Otherwise, you risk wasting your time.

And be sure to do the Consolidation phase after reaching the desired weight. In this version of the diet, you need to spend 10 days in a row on the Saturday menu for each kilogram lost. Thus, if you have lost 10 kg, you need to use the Saturday menu for 100 days in a row. Of course, you can also use the “Consolidation” phase menu of the full version of the Dukan diet.

Menu of the light version of the Dukan diet by day

*Monday*	Protein day. You can use: lean meats (preferably veal), liver, any (even fatty) fish, eggs, low-fat milk, kefir. Prohibited: lamb, lard and duck.
Tuesday	Protein products on Monday - plus vegetables /exclude potatoes in any form/. Non-starchy vegetables, zucchini, cabbage, onions, herbs, and salads are best suited.
Wednesday	In addition to proteins and vegetables, it is allowed to use vegetables of no more than 150 grams (with the exception of bananas).
*Thursday*	You can add whole grain bread /no more than 50 grams/ to the menu of the previous days.
Friday	Menu from previous days and a piece of cheese with a fat content of no more than 20%.
Saturday	You can add 200 grams of potatoes, pasta or cereal to your daily menu.
Sunday	You can add dessert and a glass of dry wine to your six-day menu.

Necessarily:

every day, walk in the fresh air for at least 20-30 minutes, 2 liters of clean drinking water and oat bran in the amount of 2 tablespoons per day.

It is believed that on such a diet you can lose from 700 grams to 1 kg of weight per week. Such slow weight loss is safe for the body. Your body gradually gets used to a smaller amount of food, develops the skills of proper nutrition, and all this without feeling hungry.

In order to correctly calculate your ideal weight and the duration of each stage of the Dukan diet, use the free Dukan calculator on our website.

Express diet menu for 7 days

First day.
Monday. Protein food according to the “Attack” phase menu.
Two boiled eggs.
Chicken drumstick without skin.
Milk (glass).
Minced fish cutlets with bran.
Second day.
Tuesday. Protein and vegetable day according to the menu of the “Cruise” phase.
A glass of yoghurt with bran.
Steamed broccoli. Steamed chicken cutlets.
A glass of kefir.
Chicken giblets stewed with carrots and onions.
The third day.
Wednesday. Protein-vegetable day with the addition of fruits according to the “Consolidation” phase menu.
Boiled chicken egg, pepper.
Beef tenderloin goulash. Cabbage stew.
A glass of kefir. Apple.
Fish baked in the oven. Vegetable Salad.
Fourth day.
Thursday. A menu with a predominance of protein foods, supplemented with fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread (no more than 60 g).
Read also: Recipe for fried fish and cod. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.
Yogurt, a piece of bread.
Borscht cooked in chicken broth, boiled chicken fillet.
Cottage cheese with orange.
Mushroom puree soup with vegetables.
Fifth day.
Friday. In addition to the products allowed on Thursday, you can add cheese.
Sandwich with tomatoes and chicken.
Vegetable soup. Beef cutlets.
Yogurt, berries.
Chicken meat roll, grilled vegetables, egg.
Sixth day.
Saturday. The menu is complemented with pasta or a cereal dish.
A glass of kefir. Cottage cheese.
Peppers with vegetable filling. Chicken drumstick.
Cheese casserole. Pear.
Fish soup. Cabbage salad.
Seventh day.
Sunday. You can eat any product you want once a day.
A glass of kefir. Bran.
Pasta with minced meat. Cheesecake.
Low-fat yogurt.
Vegetable salad, grilled meat, glass of wine.

Steps "Stairs" from Dukan with menu options

The “staircase” is divided into 7 steps:

Day 1, Monday - protein, when you are allowed to eat any foods rich in proteins, plus 1.5 tbsp. l. bran per day. During these days you can cook chakhokhbili, cheesecake, shirataki spaghetti seasoned with Bolognese sauce or eggs with cod liver.
2nd express day, Tuesday - proteins + vegetables, with the exception of starches and legumes (potatoes, beans and beans). The obligatory dish these days is 1.5 tbsp. l. oat bran. Menu options for Tuesday: carrot cake with ginger, borscht with meatballs, mushroom and cheese pie, cottage cheese with goji berries.
Day 3, Wednesday - vegetables and proteins are allowed in unlimited quantities, but the diet is diluted with 150 g of fruit (any except grapes and bananas). The usual norm of oat bran is not excluded from the menu - 1.5 tbsp. l. As reviews confirm, this is the beginning of one of the most favorable periods, when the diet is quite rich and nutritious, and the fasting diet using the express method is easily tolerated. On Wednesday you can cook: chicken with mushrooms or mushroom stew, carrot cake or sugar-free fruit dessert.
4th day, Thursday - add 45 g of whole grain bread to proteins, vegetables and fruits. Oat bran - in the same quantity as before (1.5 tbsp.). You can serve: soufflé or jelly with lime and mint, chicken with seasonings and salt, mackerel in tomato sauce.
5th day, Friday - add 40 g of cheese with a fat content of no more than 20% to proteins with vegetables, bread and fruits. Food options: fish and tofu soup, cheese sandwiches, oatmeal bran cookies. Don't forget about the mandatory 1.5 tbsp. l. oat bran.
Day 6, Saturday - add 220 g of potatoes, pasta, cereals, legumes or any starch-containing ingredients to proteins, vegetables, bread, fruits and cheese. 1.5 tbsp. l. oat bran is a must. In addition, you can cook: home-made ham, jellied meat or chicken cutlets. Addition to main courses - mashed potatoes, for a snack - candied ginger.
Day 7, Sunday - the express diet allows you to eat whatever you want: vegetables and fruits, proteins and starchy foods.

Cons and contraindications

Among the disadvantages of the “Staircase” express diet from Pierre Dukan, the following points can be highlighted:

Since protein foods do not contain enough fiber, this can lead to intestinal problems.
It is possible to increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, which also provokes an abundance of protein foods.

You cannot follow the “Staircase” diet if you have the following body conditions:

Tendency to constipation.
Atony and intestinal dyskinesia.
Diabetes.
Gout.
Cholelithiasis.
Kidney diseases.
Atherosclerosis.
Ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
The period of bearing a child.
Lactation.
Pregnancy planning stage.

Pros and cons of the protein program

The advantages of this type of nutrition include:

no need to count calories;
a menu containing healthy and safe food;
rapid fat burning, especially on Attack;
affordable products that allow you to stick to your diet even while on long trips.

Among the disadvantages, one can note the low fiber content, especially in the first stages, which can cause difficulties in the act of defecation. And also the need to take vitamin and mineral complexes at all stages of the diet.