The Dikul diet is an effective way to get your body in order

Diets

July 17, 2021, 10:00

• Stages of the Dikul diet
• Products allowed during the diet
• Features of the first phase
• Duration of the second stage
• The third stage and exit from the diet

• Protein day
• Protein-vegetable day

It is a mistake to think that the Dikul protein diet is intended for people with certain problems. The essence laid down by the author fully meets the interests of men and women involved in sports. Switching to a special nutritional system gives good results in the fight against obesity, problems with the musculoskeletal system and the formation of an athletic figure.

A little history

Valentin Ivanovich Dikul runs a rehabilitation center for people with musculoskeletal problems; he was also a weightlifter. This man has developed his own method of nutrition and special exercises that help get back in shape even after complex injuries and illnesses.

The author of the diet tested its effect on himself personally. Being a circus performer, Dikul received multiple body fractures in his youth - the insurance could not stand it. Doctors predicted that the young talent would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, but Valentin Ivanovich did not put up with this. He worked hard to heal for several years, eating a special diet and doing exercises to strengthen his muscles. As a result, he returned to the circus arena again, only this time in the role of a heavyweight.

Dikul’s nutrition and exercise system is designed specifically for bedridden people and those who cannot fully move.

The diet is based on consuming large amounts of protein and fat. Carbohydrates are either completely eliminated or reduced to a critical minimum. This principle of nutrition helps strengthen the muscle corset and prevents muscle atrophy, but only if certain exercises are performed.

Basic principles

Losing weight on this diet does not tolerate spinelessness and lack of will. The technique is not for the lazy. It involves strict adherence to Dikul’s recommendations.

Dikul Valentin Ivanovich

First of all, he suggests starting with a psychological attitude.

1. Decide for what purposes you need to lose weight, which parts of the body do not suit you and what results you expect.
2. Drink 2 liters of still water daily.
3. Use 2 tbsp every day. l. oat bran to avoid stool problems.
4. Be sure to do physical exercise, preferably in the fresh air. Warm baths, douches, swimming, yoga, dancing, and gymnastics are welcome.
5. Throughout your weight loss, take a vitamin complex.
6. The diet consists of 5 meals. On average, serving size should not exceed 300 grams. Overeating is excluded.
7. Drinking a special protein shake twice a day according to a special recipe. The first dosage regimen: 1 hour before physical activity and 1 hour later. The second scheme: replace breakfast and dinner with it.
8. Reduce your nicotine consumption, that is, either quit smoking altogether, or do it much less than before.

Only strict adherence to these author’s recommendations can guarantee sustainable weight loss and beautiful muscle definition.

On a note. Dikul believes that without internal motivation a person cannot achieve good results. Until he is confident that he will get out of his wheelchair or lose 10 kg, he will not succeed.

Dikul's nutrition system for weight loss

For those who want to get in shape, this diet will also be useful. Its principle is to replace fat tissue with muscle tissue. This means that you will not only have to eat protein foods, but also actively work out in the gym. The diet itself will not give any results; it must be supported by physical activity.

The process of losing excess weight is directly related to the restructuring of metabolism. Since we will receive only fats and proteins from food, muscle mass will begin to actively grow. Carbohydrate fasting combined with physical activity will give the body a signal to consume reserve fat deposits. Thus, we achieve the following results:

• the skeletal muscles cease to be flabby, they become stronger and grow;
• extra centimeters disappear;
• tone increases;
• the state of the nervous system is stabilized due to physical activity;
• sleep improves;
• There is no depression and apathy due to a constant feeling of satiety.

Dikul’s diet is often compared to the “cutting” diet that athletes periodically use. However, this system is much safer, since it involves saturating the body with beneficial substances of different groups, with the exception of carbohydrates.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other system, the Dikul diet has critics. Grateful and positive reviews and hundreds of successful examples of losing excess weight shatter their arguments, but it is still worth considering all the strengths and weaknesses of the technique. This will avoid disappointments and reduce the disadvantages to nothing.

Pros:

• you can achieve the planned result in just 2 weeks;
• lack of hunger;
• availability and variety of permitted food products;
• Dikul's protein shake provides the body with complete proteins during weight loss;
• possibility of an individual approach;
• stable results that do not require any further adjustments;
• getting rid of fat deposits;
• building muscle mass;
• simple dishes.

Minuses:

• the presence of contraindications: poor blood clotting, problems with the stomach and pancreas, impaired kidney function, allergies to protein (milk and egg);
• too much load on the excretory systems;
• strict adherence to instructions;
• low results;
• the need for constant monitoring by specialists;
• study reviews of the Dikul cocktail to decide whether you will drink it or not: it is believed that it is designed exclusively for athletes, but not for weight loss due to its high calorie content;
• The taste of many cocktails leaves much to be desired.

Dikul always focuses on the fact that his diet is focused on individual indicators. Some nuances (intensity of training, amount of food consumed, etc.) are determined based on the person’s initial weight and state of health. It’s one thing if a bodybuilder chose this technique for the so-called “drying” of the body. And it’s completely different - a lady weighing 100 kg, dreaming of somehow lightening her burden.

That is why, before starting a diet, you need to develop a special training regimen together with a trainer and consult a doctor. If you survive to the bitter end, you need to take a blood test to avoid unwanted health consequences.

What to eat to become slim

Even though the diet is not considered a starvation diet, there are still some exceptions to it. You will have to throw out everything from the refrigerator that can interfere with the struggle for beauty and slimness of the body.

You will have to forget about these products for a while:

• alcohol;
• any sweets, including natural marshmallows, marshmallows or jelly;
• fat meat;
• sweet fruits;
• soda.

It is interesting to know that during a diet it is recommended to eat lean meat only for the reason that it puts less strain on the pancreas and other gastrointestinal organs. However, for weight loss the percentage of fat content does not matter.

Grocery list

Dikul's diet for weight loss contains the following products: meat and mushrooms, fish and poultry. Cottage cheese, eggs and cheese will add variety to your diet. You will also need low-fat fermented milk products: milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt and sour cream. To get enough fiber and vitamins: fruits, vegetables, nuts.

The complex is aimed at restoring and improving your health; it does not recommend using alcohol, flour products, sweet drinks, semi-finished products and canned food.

The main “strong point” of the Dikul diet

Since the basis of the diet from Valentin Dikul is proteins and proteins, it is considered useful for people who work out in the gym. However, this power system also has its own “trick”. This is the legendary protein shake. It is recommended to drink it on days when there are workouts, before going to the gym and after classes.

Take 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of your favorite fruit or berry jam, 2 chicken eggs, half a glass of sour cream and two packages of fat-free cottage cheese. Mix all the ingredients in a blender; if you wish, you can add a small handful of nuts that you like best.

This cocktail is an excellent “building” material for muscles. In addition, it gives strength and allows you to train more intensely.

Dish recipes

Protein shake

Mix four hundred grams of cottage cheese, one hundred milliliters of low-fat sour cream, two eggs and several tablespoons of honey in a blender, divide into portions. You can add a couple of spoons of jam.

Tomato and apple salad

You will need six medium tomatoes, one onion, two apples, two eggs, two tablespoons of finely chopped green onions, two to three tablespoons olive oil, one spoon of lemon juice, one quarter teaspoon of pepper.

Cut tomatoes, apples and boiled eggs into slices, add finely chopped onion, olive oil and lemon juice, pepper. Mix and decorate with greens.

Tomato salad with cheese

To prepare the salad we need: five tomatoes, one onion, one hundred grams of hard cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil, finely chopped dill, a quarter of a teaspoon of ground pepper.

Cut the tomatoes into slices, onions into strips, and grate the cheese. Stir and add pepper and olive oil. Decorate with dill.

Avocado and pear salad

Ingredients needed: three avocados and pears, one bell pepper, green onions and parsley.

For the sauce: five tablespoons olive oil, two tablespoons lemon juice, one teaspoon mustard, ground pepper, garlic.

Place the avocado in the refrigerator for several hours, then peel and cut into pieces, pears into cubes, and peppers into strips. Mix the ingredients and season with sauce. You can add ground pepper and chopped garlic to the sauce. Decorate with onions and parsley.

Summer salad

We take: one hundred grams of cauliflower, carrots, green peas, cucumbers, green lettuce, tomatoes, fifty grams of asparagus, one hundred and fifty grams of sour cream, ten milliliters of vinegar, two eggs, pepper.

Grate the boiled carrots on a coarse grater. Cut the cucumber into slices, and the tomatoes into slices. Divide the cauliflower into small pieces, asparagus and green salad finely. Mix the prepared products, add pepper, vinegar, sour cream. Decorate the salad with cucumber slices, tomato slices and eggs.

Sample menu

Valentin Dikul’s official website will help you get acquainted in detail with the diet for those who play sports and for those who want to quickly rehabilitate after injuries. It describes all nutrition and physical activity systems. We will look at an approximate diet for those who want to lose weight and strengthen their muscles.

Menu by day for the first protein week

Days without training:

• We have breakfast with Dikul protein shake.
• For lunch we drink fermented baked milk or kefir with nuts, which must first be crushed in a blender.
• We have lunch with lean veal, steamed with a minimum amount of salt, and take stewed white cabbage as a side dish.
• For an afternoon snack, drink a glass of yogurt without sweeteners or fillers.
• We have a cocktail dinner.

Menu by day with training:

• We have boiled eggs for breakfast, you can take 2-3 chicken or 4-6 quail, eat two tomatoes and drink a glass of kefir.
• For lunch we drink a glass of fermented milk Varenets.
• We have lunch with boiled chicken breast without skin and fat, and prepare stewed cabbage as a side dish.
• Before training, drink a protein shake.
• After training we also drink a cocktail.

This diet is designed to saturate the body with proteins as much as possible. After one week, you can start introducing carbohydrates into the menu, this will help avoid nutritional imbalances.

Approximate menu for the following weeks

• We have breakfast with hard-boiled chicken or quail eggs, fresh cabbage salad and a glass of milk.
• Lunch consists of an apple or freshly squeezed apple juice.
• We have lunch with light chicken broth and boiled chicken breast, salad with fresh cucumbers.
• For an afternoon snack, we drink a glass of yogurt with your favorite fresh or frozen berries, if there is no training. If there is one, we replace it with a Dikul cocktail.
• We have steamed fish for dinner, cook green beans as a side dish, and on training days we replace food with a cocktail.

Remember - you can choose to your taste what you will cook, fish, meat or even seafood. It is important that food is processed without adding oil or fat.

Description of phases

You will have to go through 4 stages, each of which has separate goals. A preliminary description of the methodology in phases will allow you to get an idea of ​​what awaits you in the next month.

Phase I

The duration depends on the initial weight and the number of kg that need to be lost. For every 1 kg it takes 1 day. That is, if you need to get rid of 5 kg, this stage lasts 5 days.

List of permitted products:

• veal and beef tongues;
• kidneys, liver;
• lean pork;
• any fish;
• seafood.

List of prohibited products:

• bakery, confectionery products;
• chocolate;
• flour and sweets (including sugar);
• pasta;
• high-calorie vegetables and fruits: avocados, bananas, oranges, potatoes, beets, boiled carrots, eggplants, seeds, nuts.

Dishes are prepared without oil or fat. Salt is limited to the maximum. Seasonings and spices are excluded.

II phase

Protein-vegetable stage. Duration - from 10 days. It is an alternation of protein and carbohydrate days, when vegetables and vegetable oil are added to the diet.

III phase

The duration is determined individually. Power scheme:

• 1 time per week - exclusively protein day;
• 2 times a week - 1 high-calorie dish;
• High-calorie fruits, which were previously prohibited, are added to the diet, as well as bread and cheese.

At this stage, Dikul advises taking a blood test to monitor your health. You need to consume proteins and carbohydrates correctly (we continue to alternate them) and not deplete the body. This phase should bring only pleasant sensations. If something torments you (complexes, dissatisfaction with results, hunger), the system is unlikely to work.

IV phase

At its core, this phase is the right way out of the diet. It can last a lifetime if you intend to maintain the results achieved. Dikul allows you to eat any food, but have a protein fasting day once a week. In addition, he advises continuing to consume oat bran.

Only if all phases are completed from start to finish, Dikul guarantees lasting and worthy results. This is not only weight loss (estimated loss is minus 10 kg), but also a beautiful muscle relief of the body. Men have those same six-pack abs, women have firm buttocks and a flat tummy.

Warning

It should be taken into account that the Dikul diet increases blood clotting. The kidneys also receive additional stress, and the demands on gastrointestinal function increase.

In general, doctors and physicians perceive the system quite favorably, without making any special complaints about its contents and requirements. It is quite well thought out, the little things are taken into account, those who adhere to it experience a surge of strength and excellent well-being.

In conclusion, we add that those who are not yet ready to train can very well take advantage of the Dukan protein diet. It is so popular that it has long been translated from French into more than 15 world languages. Acceptable products in it number hundreds of different items. There are also separate books with recipes that are most consistent with the principles of a protein diet.

Physical exercise

Healthy physical activity is required at all stages; select it taking into account the level of training of your body. To begin with, you can just take a long walk and do light exercises. You should feel an increase in load, but not experience pain or discomfort. Choose what you like: swimming, yoga, fitness, aerobics, gymnastics.

If you still can’t get into sports, take up dancing. After all, this is the same sport, only with music. Again, choose what you like.

The main thing is that you feel that changes are happening and that progress is being made. Enjoy every step of the way.

Distinctive features

Content:

• Distinctive features
• Obvious advantages and hidden disadvantages
• Step-by-step approach
• Approximate diet
• Effectiveness of the cocktail

Valentin Dikul, in whose honor the diet was named, put fermented milk products familiar to Slavic citizens at the forefront. The reason for this is their high content of not only protein, but also proteins that are easily digestible.

To achieve excellent performance from the very beginning, you should give up carbohydrates at least at the initial stage of the schedule. Such a voluntary refusal will serve as a catalyst for starting the processing of accumulated fat layers. They will be used as the primary source of energy necessary for normal life. The process of burning fat will guarantee the loss of unnecessary pounds.

Only after starting the burning mechanism can you gradually introduce small portions of your favorite carbohydrate-containing foods. But the main secret of productivity is three other aspects: drinking plenty of fluids, a special vitamin set, and maintaining the balance of minerals and trace elements at the proper level.

If you combine this with a well-thought-out alternation of carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate shifts in the schedule, you get an effective system. At the same time, those who want to become slimmer will not be in dire need of any specific elements, which will guarantee the absence of unnecessary stress.

Another positive quality is the ability to calculate the duration of the program according to individual needs. It does not provide particularly strict regulations for yield or strict limits for the failure of nutritional components. It’s enough just not to overeat, and also be smart about the process of replenishing the body with “fuel”.