How Long Should the Attack Phase of the Dukan Diet Last?

The Attack Phase is often incorrectly used by many followers of the Dukan Diet and it should never last more than 10 days. Many dieters think that by staying on this Phase for longer than recommended that they will lose weight more quickly.

The length of the Attack Phase can be between 1 and 10 days and it is set depending upon how much weight you want to lose and how quickly. The best way to work out the length of Attack Phase that you need is to use one of the official Dukan Diet sites and complete their tool to find your true weight.

If you don’t want to do this you could use this rough guide

Less than 10 pounds to lose – a one day Attack Phase.
Between 10 and 20 pounds to lose – a three day Attack Phase.
Between 20 and 40 pounds to lose – a five day Attack Phase,
Over 40 pounds to lose – a seven day Attack Phase is the norm. A 10 day Attack Phase is only exceptionally used after medical advice has been taken.

The Attack Phase needs to be long enough to give your diet a really good kick start but it can’t be too long or your body adjusts to the lower levels of fuel that it is receiving and it reduces your metabolic rate, the rate at which your body burns calories.

The limited range of foods eaten during the Attack Phase make following this part of the diet quite difficult after more than four or five days but also very importantly the Attack Phase foods do not provide a nutritionally balanced diet or enough fiber.

If you would like to know how much weight can typically be lost in the Attack Phase you might like to read this post. How Much Weight Can Be Lost in Attack Phase of Dukan Diet?

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15 Comments

15 Responses to “How Long Should the Attack Phase of the Dukan Diet Last?”


Tez on April 21, 2012

Hi Amber.
On the Dukan site I did the true weight part and the table said that I should be on the attack phase for 7 days to lose 2.7kg. I’m up to day 4 and have already lost this much. Should I move on or stay on the attack phase for the full 7 days?
- Reply
  
  Amber on April 21, 2012
  
  Hi Tez
  
  If you are happy to stay on the Attack Phase for the whole 7 days this is what I would recommend. It will help you to get your diet off to the best start possible.
  
  Best wishes
  
  Amber:)

james on April 19, 2012

Hi i am looking to lose about 4 stone. I am on day 3 of the attack phase and yet to weigh myself. Shall i do the attack phase for 7-10 days and then weight myself and then move onto the cruise phase?
- Reply
  
  Amber on April 19, 2012
  
  Hi James (DJT)
  
  All comments on the site are fully moderated so they don’t get published until I approve them.
  
  If your doctor is happy for you to carry out a 10 day Attack Phase you can do this but this is the maximum length allowed. If you can weigh yourself more frequently it may help with your motivation as you see the pounds disappear. It would be better if you could get your own scales as soon as you can.
  
  Kind regards
  
  Amber:)

YV on March 20, 2012

Hello Amber,

I would like to know is it possible to eat more than 3 meals per day but stick with the allowed food? I feel hungry all the time! and is it okay to have more than 1.5 spoon of oat bran per day? it taste delicious! If i cant, can I have oatmeals throughout the day too? thank you!!!
- Reply
  
  Amber on March 20, 2012
  
  Hi YV
  
  You want to try to retrain your eating habits so that you have a normal eating pattern. If you get used to eating all of the time you are going to struggle to maintain your weight once you stop dieting. I think it would be a good idea to check with your doctor to see if there is any underlying medical condition causing you to be hungry all of the time.
  
  Oat bran is limited to just 1.5 tablespoons a day in the Attack Phase and oatmeal is not allowed at all.
  
  Best wishes
  
  Amber:)

Darren on March 16, 2012

Hi I did the attack for 5 days lost 4 lb brill but at weekend I was at a stag do and went crazy ggggrrrrhhhh! Do I go back on the attack or go to cruise now even after the bad weekend blow out
- Reply
  
  Amber on March 16, 2012
  
  Hi Darren
  
  The Attack Phase isn’t suitable to be repeated after such a short period of time so you need to move to the Cruise Phase.
  
  Best wishes
  
  Amber:)

Anna on January 29, 2012

Thank you for your support and info

I weight myself every morning after toilet ( before breakfast).
And I don’t add any salt in foods I eat.
It’s not easy to stay on the diet when you don’t see any results.
What should I do next? I mean go to Cruise phase? Is it possible that this diet is not for everybody? I mean different structures etc.

Regards
Anna
- Reply
  
  Amber on January 29, 2012
  
  Dear Anna
  
  You should move to Cruise Phase as staying on Attack Phase is not only very restrictive nutritionally it can slow your metabolism. If you restrict your calories intake for too long your body thinks there is a food shortage and shifts into fat conservation mode and this is exactly the opposite of what you want when you are trying to lose weight.
  
  I would suggest that you try to concentrate on the proteins that Dr Dukan recommends for Dukan Thursdays in the Stabilisation Phase and you will find more information in this post.
  
  http://thedukandietsite.com/2854/dukan-diet-dukan-protein-thursdays-explained/
  
  You could also check to see how many calories you are eating each day to make sure you are not over doing a food which is high in calories. If you are eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain itself you will lose weight whatever diet you follow. What the Dukan Diet does is give a different framework to achieve this objective and some people find that this framework is easy for them to follow.
  
  Kind regards
  
  Amber:)
  - Reply
    
    Anna on January 29, 2012
    
    Thanks a lot, Amber:)

Anna on January 29, 2012

Hello

I’m wondering about my situation.
I’m on attack phase already 6 days and soon it’s time to start the cruise one. But the thing is I did not loose anything maybe half a kg.
It is ok ?
I follow all the products, drink plenty of water and walk.
Really looking forward for your reply
- Reply
  
  Amber on January 29, 2012
  
  Hi Anna
  
  It is unusual but not uncommon not to lose a lot of weight in the Attack Phase. How much weight you lose depends on many things but when you are not losing weight it is probably being caused by water retention. Water retention can be caused by the food you eat, for example salty food tends to cause water retention or it can be caused by your hormones, a lot of women gain weight around the time of their period.
  
  You also need to make sure that you are weighing yourself at the same time each day as your weight can vary by between 3 and 5 pounds over the course of a day. The best time is first thing in the morning after having been to the bathroom but before eating breakfast.
  
  Hopes this helps.
  
  Best wishes
  
  Amber:)

vag on November 12, 2011

i’m in the 6th day in the attack phase, but so far i’v been eating rolled oats instead of bran. if i can get some oat bran next week, propably on monday, should i restart the attack phase or continue to next one?
- Reply
  
  Amber on November 12, 2011
  
  Hi Vag
  
  I replied to your email as well. My advice is to continue with the next phase as the Attack Phase is very restrictive nutritionally so it is not good for you to extend this phase.
  
  Amber:)