I can't eat all that meat!

No matter how much you may know you need to lose weight, it is a big step and you might look for excuses to put off dieting.

I know that some people I have discussed the Dukan Diet with have said they are put off by all the meat they think they will need to eat. If this is putting you off of the plan, then let me reassure you. You don't have to eat more than you want of anything.

The Dukan Diet is a plan which stresses the importance of protein and proposes a plan where for large periods you eat nothing but lean protein foods. I can understand that when you look at the volume of food on your plate currently,  there is perhaps a serving of potatoes, or rice, pasta or some other starches, a selection of vegetables, and then some meat. There is an assumption that eating purely lean protein means replacing the various foods with the same volume of meat. It doesn't. The remarkable thing about eating lean meat is that it is more satisfying and filling than the other foods. You will need to eat more protein rich foods than you would normally serve, but you do not need to replace the volume of food with the same volume of meat. Give yourself a good serving, and eat as much as you like. You should not try to force yourself to eat more than it takes to satisfy your hunger. 

The second point to remember is it is not simply a matter of tucking into steak at every meal. If you like steak, then by all means eat that. Most people like variety. Even during the phases when you are eating purely protein rich foods, there is a lot of choice. Red meat is perhaps one of the most restricted sources of the kind of protein you need for this diet. You should only eat lean beef and veal because many other cuts and certainly the meat from pork or lamb are all too fatty. You can enjoy these later in the plan, but during the main weight loss periods, the Attack and the Cruise phases, you should stick to beef and veal for your red meat. 

But there are other meats besides the red ones. A chicken breast or sliced turkey are delicious. So long as you avoid the skin and the fattier parts, you can eat as much chicken and turkey as you like. This is leaner than beef. You can also enjoy some more exotic meats, such as game. Venison and rabbit, ostrich, or kangaroo meat are all delicious. They are not difficult to obtain and offer some real variety. Their meat is really lean and they are not difficult to prepare in a variety of ways. 

Fish is the best source of protein. Even the fattiest fish is leaner than beef or veal and what is more the fat from fish is extremely good for you. Do not deep fry your fish. There are countless other ways of preparing it. Along with fish, there is shellfish. All of these delicious foods meet the requirements of the Dukan Diet. If you have not eaten fish regularly before, now would be a good time to start experimenting.

Along side your meat, poultry, game and fish, you can enjoy fat free dairy and eggs. Fat free dairy, skimmed milk, eggs and a teaspoon of cornflour will provide you with the basis for most sauces. You can enjoy all the herbs and spices and other flavourings you want. So you do not have to tuck into dry grilled meat.

So if all that meat was putting you off the diet, I hope that excuse is gone! Eat as much as you want, but no more! You won't be able to try all the options you have before the weight is gone. This I know from my own experience.