One for all the returners... what did we learn? What are we going to different?

Shelly_Belly

Full Member
Hi guys,

I've been thinking about this thread for a few days, and I think it would be really helpful for me, and maybe for some of you others as well.

I have noticing in the diary section especially, there seem to be many people who have done the diet, seen great results, usually reaching target weight and consolidating for a bit... but then later.... real life gets in the way, they lose focus, or other things happen, but eventually they regain some or all of the weight, sometimes even more, and then wait a while before eventually coming back to Dukan.

These stories strike a chord with me, because I am in the same boat. In January 2012 I weighed in at 12st 7lb, I got down to 11st on Atkins (not fun, Keto-breath and SLOW) before discovering Dukan in the Summer 2012, and shedding 2 more stone in three months. I weighed 9st in September 2012 and was gloriously happy. I managed to maintain it until Christmas and then slowly but surely my weight crept up again.

I was marathon training and struggling with my diet, balancing consolidation with Carb-loading, saying no to offers of unplanned dessert by saying "I'm on a diet" and the person offering me would be flabberghasted, like "but you're already so slim!". Celebration meals turned into celebration weekends, which turned into Celebration Months. My deprived body was so hungry after my long training runs that I sadly started episodes of binge eating. I was miserable about my weight gain, but the misery just led to comfort eating. I also started to take some pretty harsh hormones, which drove my appetite crazy.

In the end, I regained the weight so fast that I was asked on four different occasions if I was pregnant. It was heartbreaking.

But laziness and I guess a bit of dread prevented me getting back to the diet properly for another year and a bit. When I write it out like this, it all seems so crazy, but I guess that's just how it is. I kept thinking that if I just focus on my exercise, my training, the nutrition will fall into place. Sadly it didn't, so as painful as it was, I ran my marathon at over 12stone.

I thought it might be important and useful for us to record what went wrong last time, and what we're going to change this time to really keep the weight off once and for all. We all obviously that the Dukan diet can provide lasting results, but why didn't it for us? I don't ever want to feel so out of control again. I want it to last this time. So I made a little questionnaire, so that we can share our experiences. If you like you can copy it and share your own. Otherwise you can maybe learn something from mine. This was really hard for me to write. But I hope that someone else can get something out of it.


Questions:

Initial Start Weight:
Initial Success on Dukan:
Regain Weight:
New Target weight:
How long did you maintain your weight for?:
What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
What will you do differently this time?:


Here goes mine-

Initial Start Weight:
12st 7lbs

Initial Success on Dukan:

9st (some days lower)

Regain Weight:
12st 4lbs

New Target weight:
10st

How long did you maintain your weight for?:
3 months

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
I only did half of the consolidation - started having more and more carb portions and "celebration meals"
Dropped PP days completely
Found it hard to resist spontaneous eating
Did some half-arse back on Dukan but never really got it to stick as I lacked motivation and determination
Had issues with binge eating and comfort eating
Tried other diets but would fall off the wagon spectacularly, usually ending up heavier

Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
Dukan is the only diet that I could ever really follow and feel satisfied
I have such positive memories of Dukan the first time around. Steady losses and easy diet plans.
I honestly regret not trying harder at consolidation as I really think it was a "livable" eating plan

What will you do differently this time?:

I am not targetting such a low weight. It was too slim on me.
I will honour the consolidation period in full.
I will keep to PP days.
I am keeping a diary here (I was just a lurker before), for encouragement and to help keep me accountable.


Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on all this xoxox
 
What a brilliant post, Shelly, and what an amazing story with all the ups and downs. So here goes: My story is a little different as I've never really been that overweight, and usually fluctuate between chubby, flabby and curvy. My max weight ever has been around 65kg, but that didn't last more than a few months.

That might not sound like much, but I'm short and top-heavy, so I easily look overweight in clothes. For me, losing just 2 or 3kg can make an huge difference in how I look and feel, but I also struggle like hell to shift those final kilos!

Initial Start Weight: 60kg (9st 6)

Initial Success on Dukan: lost 5kg, reaching 55kg (8st 9) - my lowest adult weight ever

Regain Weight: a couple of weeks ago I hit 60 again, and wanted to cry. I also thought I'd found the diet that would work forever, and would never regain.

New Target weight: 56kg

How long did you maintain your weight for?
I managed to stay around 56 for 4 months, gained a bit over Christmas and then lost it. Went up again and lost a bit, and over the next 6 months the weight gradually crept back a kilo at a time.

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
-Letting my attention drop, and letting the short cheating periods become longer cheating periods. It's easy to recover after gaining 1kg, but once you've gained back 50-70% of what you've lost, it's like starting at the beginning again.
- I also relocated abroad and started a new job, which added stress and screwed up my eating habits and exercise.
- Just plain denial, really: avoiding the scales, kidding myself that I was eating well by not counting alcohol, desserts, croissants, etc... Avoiding wearing my skinny clothes...
- I was also just too busy with life to do all the prep that dukan requires, and was fed up of having to eat different meals to my hubby.

Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
well, I've never really left dukan, as it's still my preferred eating style (I unfortunately just increased the bad stuff I ate along with dukan!). I still think it's a fantastic diet, although I do also follow primal.

What will you do differently this time?: This time I'm supplementing my dukan / primal eating patterns with intermittent fasting. I hope this will be a short term antidote to the overindulging, and give me quicker results. So far so good!

Once I'm at tw I will also keep a much closer eye in things and not allow myself to go without weighing for long periods. I will put on my 'skinny clothes' once a week to check they still fit. And not let myself fluctuate more than 1kg over tw.

Phew! Wish me luck ;-)
 
Last edited:
What a fabulous idea Shelly. My story is a little strange because my start weight at Dukan is 71.1K way back in 2007 (must check that) is a weight I've hardly seen since! But I'll only talk about Dukan here for the purposes of your questionnaire.

Initial Start Weight:
71.1K

Initial Success on Dukan:

65K

Regain Weight:
86K?

New Target weight:
68K

How long did you maintain your weight for?:
a day


What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
My target weight was too low and, while attainable on Cruise (4/3 rotation), as soon as I moved onto Conso, the weight crept back on.
My Celebration meals were too celebratory ;)
No one else on Conso at the time was gaining seemingly (or, rather, had disappeared instead of posting) so I hid it, ate more still, and lost the plot.


Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
Dukan to me is like putting on an old comfy pair of slippers. It enables me to eat until I'm full and I find the meal planning and shopping very easy.


What will you do differently this time?:

I'm not actually doing Dukan any more because I quickly lose the sense of "normal portions" which is something difficult to tackle at stabilisation time. Perhaps food for thought for others too?
But I do still believe that Dukan can work but not if used as a quick fix before holidays etc.
 
Initial Start Weight:
13st 9lbs, in February 2012

Initial Success on Dukan:
Reached tw of 10st 5lbs in August 2012. Then carried on losing on Conso until at one point I weighed 9st 1lb (I think around January 2013). I decided I wanted to maintain at 9st 5lbs - 9st 1lb was positively skinny but 9st 5lbs was beautifully slim.

Regain Weight:
I didn't start to go over my tw of 9st 5lbs until early this year. Last Christmas, on holiday, I indulged in puddings, chocolate, etc for the first time and after that I embraced my perception of Stabilisation (ie everything allowed provided you keep one pp day a week). The weight crept on gradually over the ensuing 6 months (the pp days had long-since disappeared) but I'm glad to say that once I had gone past Dr Dukan's tw for me I decided enough was enough.

New Target weight:
I'm aiming for 9st 5lbs again because I don't like the cellulite on my tummy when I'm heavier, I'd rather the folds of loose skin when I'm lighter (I'm 56 and have had 4 children so the elasticity has been long lost).

How long did you maintain your weight for?:
I have remained at or below Dr Dukan's tw for me for the best part of 2 years and still feel confident I shall never be the "fattie" I had become again.

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
Possibly boredom. Possibly 'what if'. Definitely lots of personal stresses though I am increasingly coming to understand (for the first time in 38 years plus) that food or depriving myself of it is not the answer.

Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
Because it works for me. I played with a couple of other 'quick fixes' before returning to Dukan but I now realise that to return to the weight I liked being is going to take longer than a week or 3.

What will you do differently this time?
Nothing, actually. I took my eye off the ball for a while, that's all. I don't believe a very protein-heavy diet is healthy long-term but, like Scooter, I find Dukan Conso/Stab incredibly easy provided I don't have 2 Gala Meals a week. Being able to have fruit, bread and cheese every day, and the very occasional feast at weddings and bar mitzvahs (to coin a phrase) was completely acceptable for me.

So that's my tuppenny-worth, for whatever it's worth! I love this thread and hope it helps others on their journey to a healthy, stable weight. Although the overriding impression on this forum is that people who have lost on Dukan haven't maintained that loss, I suspect that the very many who have, have long since stopped contributing to the site. Also, there must be thousands out there who do not have issues around food/weight who have successfully dieted using Dukan and have never felt the need to join a forum like this in the first place. I genuinely believe Dukan is the solution for very many people.
 
Last edited:
Leave us hanging, why dontcha!

Cx
 
Initial Start Weight:
11st 4lbs 3rd august

Initial Success on Dukan:
Reached 9 stone 10 by 30th September then got bored and gave up

Regain Weight:
I didn't! I went on hover around 9 stone 8lbs by eating healthy 80% of the time ;)

New Target weight:
I'm aiming for 8 stone 7lb ish, my TW is around 8 stone 5lbs If I remember correctly!

How long did you maintain your weight for?:
I always have. I had gained weight through pregnancy, always being around 8 and a half stone mark previously.

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:
Original weight gain... A baby :)

Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
Because it works for me!

What will you do differently this time?
Stick to it and follow it trough completely the switching to paleo diet, I have IBS so this would be ideal for me to stay fat burning rather than switching back to sugar burning. Plus wheat and grains are not good on my stomach.


Although it seems everyone gains, the reason I got on to dukan is two of my friends did it after pregnancy, one had gained 5 stone! Both have kept it off and maintained their true weight, the 5 stone gain girls youngest is now 5, she does one pp a day still and stays slim and healthy.

Dukan works! X
 
Now that's a good news story! Thanks wookie!
 
Initial Start Weight: 17st 10lb

Initial Success on Dukan:
12st 10lb

Regain Weight:
5st

New Target weight:
12st 10lb
How long did you maintain your weight for?:
1 year

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:

Catching galduar fever (mono) worst thing ever. I couldn't walk any were without nearly passing out. I used to play roller derby and skate over 10 hours a week. Instead my team kicked me off the team for being ill and missing to many session. I needed loads of sugar just to get me to be able to walk to the living room. Slept most of the day too. Then due to being ill, I came down with high anextiy and depression (which I'm still struggling with now) Panic attacks led to eating more and more, the depression lead to eat more and more. I cannot say I'm proud of what happened. I'm far from it. I hate what I have done to myself again.


Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?
22nd of July 1014, something just felt right within me about starting again, 9LB down so far


What will you do differently this time?: no panic to much or over think if I stall. No little cheats. Oh this wont hurt once etc. Having said that I did have a mini milk after 2 hours of staking last week as I ended up throwing up and needed something in me! Not go over board on the exercise too. Last time I was working out every other day at home, skating 10 hours a week plus going to see a trainer on a Thursday.

Over all im going to do this for me at my own pace and see how I go.
 
Wow, what a story, Vikx. You sound like you're in a much better place now though. And if you can do it once, you can do it again. We're here with you - good luck!

Cxx
 
Wow! I just had a good read through these stories, they are all so motivating and we will definitely get back there - and Wookie - I love your "no nonsense" attitude ;)

Vikx - like me, you are way too hard on yourself. I'm so glad to hear that you're better, and you know how to do this, we'll be cheering you every step of the way :)

It's so interesting how we manage this with working overseas too, Caro, Jo, Bonkers and Me... when I first read the book, I was really struck by how Dr Dukan had tried to modify it for a "typically British" diet in the British edition. Then apparently he has done the same in the US version and now in Brazil, I see things on ********* and I can only assume that the Dieta Dukan book as even more mods to suit the Brazilian palette as the food looks unrecognisable! I'm due to be relocating at the end of the year to West Africa, where the food is REALLY CARBY, the meat is expensive and there is very little dairy... I wonder how I'll get on!!
 
West Africa... Sounds exotic! (Even though I'm originally from South Africa, ironically I haven't spent much time on the rest of the continent, but I've been to every far-flung spot in Asia!)

It's good that you're planning in advance, because relocating really is one of the biggest dieting hazards I know. I got down to tw in china, but then eventually put everything back on in the uk because it took me a while to adapt to new products, organise my kitchen, find new exercise routines, etc.

One of our other favorite dukanettes, the lovely Joodle, has recently moved to Lebanon and has also reported falling off the wagon. So it takes a bit of planning but I'm sure you'll find a solution. I bet they have lots of delicious spicy dishes too!

Cx
 
Dukan start-141lbs
lowest-132lbs
highest-148lbs(3 weeks ago0
current weight-141lbs
dipping in and out of dukan, mixing it up with paleo
had a good loss first time around, then life and Christmas got in the way. Have been struggling ever since then.
finally seem to have gotten my head in the right place.
 
Initial start weight
186.4lb

initial success
154lb

regain weight
187.8lb

new target weight
160lb

I maintained for 6 months at TW then a further 6 months close to my new TW

i gained my weight back because after getting to TW and maintains for a while I had a succession of illness which meant I couldn't eat so once I could I made up for it! I had to eat gluten free and the gf substitutes are way worse for you fat & sugar wise. I dabbled with a few other diets and half hearted low carbing over the last 9 months but never really lost & only gained which I seem to be able to do stupidly easily!

i have come back because it worked last time, I don't like PP days very much but I need something strict not you can eat everything in moderation type diets counting points or calories I need you can gave this, this & this type diet.

What at will I do differently, not sure really as I don't know how I would have done had I been able to eat normally & not been ill but I guess I would have gained anyway so I will try and make sure I don't go off the rails too much.
 
Initial Start Weight:

14st 11 lbs

Initial Success on Dukan:

12st 6lbs

Regain Weight:

15st 1lb AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

New Target weight:

11st

How long did you maintain your weight for?:

2 days possibly

What do you think were the reasons for your weight gain?:

I lost weight for my wedding, and then epically failed on Honeymoon! To be honest I have never really planned to go to consolidation, stabilization etc it was just a quick fix for me at that point. I also didn't really follow it properly for the 5 weeks I did it, in every week I did 6 attack days and 1 binge cheat day so I didn't actually ever do cruise either!

Why did you chose to come back to Dukan?

Because I knew if I did it properly I could do it. I also know that any diet where I was losing 1-2lbs from the off would never hold my motivation and I'd become frustrated. I'm extremely impatient when I've made up my mind about something which is what normally fails me on diets - it goes to slow.

What will you do differently this time?:


Do every phase of the diet and think of it is a lifestyle haul over rather than a quick fix.
 
In 2011 lost 5lbs with Dukan in 5 days. I very stupidly did not realise about the bran at first so got very constipated and felt really unwell. I never put the weight back on though. I was 13st 3lbs at the time. I am going to do attack again as weight has crept back up but properly this time! :rolleyes:
 
Sounds like you're doing it right this time around, shez!
 
Back
Top