Brianna, United States, lost 127 lbs

Dukan Diet is not about deprivation, it’s about indulging in exactly what your body needs to thrive!

My name is Brianna. I’m 23 years old. I discovered the DUKAN method around May of 2010 when, Marshall Brain, the founder of my favorite website www.howstuffworks.com, blogged about it. He was skeptical, but he decided to try it himself with remarkable results…

I had struggled with my weight my entire life. I was 270 pounds at the age of 14, and though I had one diet success when I was 16, the weight eventually came back as the Atkins diet I tried offered me little advice on how to consolidate my weight loss.

At the age of 22 I found myself over 300 pounds and truly ashamed of my body. So I began the Dukan diet, and due to birthday festivities, my resolve did not last long, but I did keep off 5 pounds and a couple months later decided to try again. I began the diet again, this time fully committed, and now in Consolidation my weight loss total is 127 pounds!

The transformation in my body is remarkable, and I find myself struggling to believe the difference. Though I have about 5 more pounds left to lose, I know that I will be able to reach my true weight of 182 pounds. The reason I know this is possible is because through careful planning I have found I can enjoy all of the things life has to offer that would otherwise be detrimental to a diet like cookouts, holiday meals, and going out to restaurants. If I was deprived of those things entirely, the diet would be much more difficult to adhere to.

I also have my own blog about the Dukan Diet (https://beatlekitten.blogspot.com/), and I post daily updates to my Facebook as a way to motivate myself toward my goals and to inspire others who may not realize the possibilities the Dukan Diet has to offer. I feel that I have a whole new lease on life, and this is only the beginning.

Few things are more empowering than taking control of one’s life when all hope seems to be lost. To comfort those who, like myself, are perhaps weary of the diet because they do not see themselves able to follow the exercise regimen prescribed, I would advise them to try the dietary portion at first, and once the weight begins falling off, the inexplicable desire to exercise will appear from nowhere and will speed them along! Few people realize how many of the problems in their lives can be traced back to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Becoming a Dukanian has opened my eyes to the fact that what society perceives as « normal » eating habits are actually poor eating habits.

It’s when I made that realization that I saw that this method is not about deprivation, it’s about indulging in exactly what your body needs to thrive. The meals I prepare are not pitiful, bland, small portioned, repetitive endeavors. They are opportunities for me to explore my newfound culinary skills whether it’s steaming seasoned fresh asparagus; preparing a hearty beef stew complete with cabbage, celery, and onions; or serving up my most loved dish of all, fajita chicken.

I’ve even had a friend who was not dieting beg me for that recipe saying it was one of the most delicious meals he’d ever eaten. Not only did he love it, but he was amazed to realize that it had very minimal fat and carbs.

The Dukan method is not about giving up the joy of indulgence; it is about savoring the joy of indulgence without the once inevitable guilt that always followed. What could be better than that?

Read about Brianna’s journey on her blog here.

My favorite support Dukan food: Lemon Pepper Tuna
My Dukan treat: Spring Roast Stew
My favorite form of exercise: Walking
The nicest compliment I’ve been paid: Wow, you really are getting small!
What keeps me going: The whole world is mine to explore and enjoy now. I am not longer hindered by the burden that once was my body. I can do all the things I once only dreamt of. Every beautiful day is now an irresistible opportunity to go out and live life like I never thought I would get to.
The advice I’d give to other « Dukanians »: Minimize temptations. Cut them out entirely if possible. Being around things you associate with comfort foods are going to incite a reaction in your body that makes you lust for them. So avoid them, and focus on the fact that every time you turn down an invitation in that first critical month or so, you are ensuring that at a later date you will be able to go out with your friends except all the focus will be on how they can’t believe how amazing you look now!