The first phase on the Dukan diet is the Attack, the pure proteins phase.
The number of days for this phase will vary according to your age, your weight and how much you want to lose and how many diets you have tried before. But Dukan gives us some ideas:
- To lose under 10 pounds – a single day may be enough;
- To lose under 20 pounds – three days it is enough;
- To lose between 20 and 40 pounds – the Attack phase should last five days;
- To lose over 40 pounds – seven up to ten days (but you must see a doctor to approve the diet).
First of all you must be well informed about this diet, and so you will not fail during this period. Read carefully the list of allowed foods and make yourself a shopping list for the ones you enjoy eating. Also, remember that you can eat as often as you want and never skip a meal. Drink a lot and drink every time you eat. You should drink at least 1,5 litres of water per day.
What can you eat during this phase?
Dr. Dukan gives us a list of 72 foods that are allowed in Attack. Print down this list and keep it with you all the time!
There are three categories of foods:
- Meats
- Eggs
- Fat free dairy products
Each categories consists in:
1. Lean meats – beef, minced steak, veal, rabbit.
2. Offal (liver, calf`s and lamb`s tongue).
3. Fish – all faty and oily fish, smoked fish, tinned fish, seafood sticks (surimi).
4. Shellfish – prawns, crab, shrimp, cockles, lobster, oysters, mussels, scallops.
5. Poultry – chicken, turkey (except birds with flat beaks such as farm-reared ducks and geese). You must not the skin!
6. Low fat sliced and cooked meats, with any rind cut off –the fat content must be between 2% and 4%. You cand use them for quick lunches.
7. Eggs – you can eat the whole egg or the egg whites. The eggs are high in cholesterol and their excessive consumption must be avoid by those having high cholesterol level in their blood.
8. Fat free dairy – yoghurt, fromage frais, quark, cottage cheese, fat free flavoured dairy products, low fat dairy products with fruit but sugar free (tolerated in this phase, but it will be better if you avoid them now), skimmed milk (fresh or powered).
It is important to use condiments to give flavour to your food.
Salt – can be use with moderation.
Vinegar – chose strong-tasting vinegars like the balsamic one or sherry vinegar.
Lemon juice – can be use to flavour fish, shellfish or meat (but it can`t be use as a lemon juice drink or lemonade).
Mustard – eat it with moderation.
Gherkins/cornichons and onions – are allowed if used as condiments in small quantities.
Ordinary ketchup – sugar free and use with moderation.
You can also use thyme, garlic, parsley, shallots, chives, agar-agar, baking powder, basil, cardamom, chervil, chilli, cloves, coriander, cumin, gelatine, ginger, horseradish, lemon and lime, lemongrass, low-salt stock cubes, mint, nutmeg, oat bran, orange flower water, paprika, pepper, rosemary, saffron, seaweed, soy sauce, star anise, sweeteners, sugar free food flavouring, tarragon, teriyaki sauce, turmeric, vanilla.
There are also tolerated – dukan mayonnese, dukan vinaigrette, harissa, mustard, salt, stock, tomato puree (for cooking).
It is also important to eat 1 – 1 ½ tablespoonful of oat bran every Attack day! They are good to improve digestion and it gives you the feeling of fullness.

Source: The Dukan Diet Life Plan, Dr.Pierre Dukan, 2012.