Consolidation Phase
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So! You've finished the second phase of the Dukan diet – the Cruise phase and achieved your goal weight! Now on to the third phase – Consolidation.

This is the moment when all your hard work has payed off, you got to your target weight, but you are under a huge risk of yo-yo – gaining it all back, if you don't watch what you eat carefully. The upside is, you can now add many tasty products, that were forbidden on the Cruise phase, as you no longer need to lose weight – just keep up the weight you are at and not gain any more.

The simple rule is – for every one pound you lost, you need to be on the Consolidation phase for 5 days. So if you've lost 30lb, you need to be on phase 3 for 150days.

This phase is all about a controlled way to get back to normal, but still healthy eating. You have learned a lot about food, cooking and nutrition during the Cruise phase. Now you can expand that knowledge and put it to good use while re-introducing new foods to your diet.

Apart from the products allowed in the previous phases, you will now be able to have: bread, fruit, cheeses and some starchy products. You will also be able to have some other foods that were forbidden up till now thanks to the celebration meals, but you need to precisely follow the rules:

1 portion of fruit a day

Pretty much any fruit except from bananas, cherries and dried fruit. 1 portion is one piece: an apple, a pear, an orange, a small bowl of strawberries, a handful of berries, a few plums, etc.

2 pieces of wholegrain bread a day

You can have them in any given moment of the day: breakfast, as sandwiches, with soup.

Also it doesn't have to be bread either! You can replace the bread with 1 cup of pasta (cooked, not dry) or any other allowed starch - whole grain rice, lentils, peas, couscous, quinoa, etc.

40grams of cheese a day

You can have any: gouda, swiss cheeses, cheddar. Avoid goat cheeses, camembert, roquefort. It's best to have the whole portion at one go, to avoid having too much.

2 portions of starchy products a week

Avoid white rice and potatoes.

Pasta – for best results have the wholegrain ones and cook them al dente (the it will take longer for the body to process). Don't use cream or butter while preparing the dish and stick to no more than 220g boiled weight.

Wholegrain rice – same amount as the pasta.

Lentil and beans

Pork & Lamb

Once a week you can have some lamb and pork, though try to have the lean parts.

Celebration Meals

Two times a week you can have celebration meals. That can be anything. YES, it can be pizza or french fries and ice cream, but there are rules:

• Never have another serving, it's about enjoying the tastes and not overindulging yourself
• Between one celebration meal and the next one, there should be at least a days difference, so if you had one for Sunday dinner, you should not have another one Monday for breakfast. You have to give your body time to burn the excess calories.
• It's best to actually chose a time you can actually 'celebrate' this meal and not rush yourself. Maybe have something fatty, but prepare it yourself at home. It could be a starter (a white roll), the main dish (deep fried chicken), dessert (a piece of cake) and a glass of wine. You just need to remember not to have more than one serving.

Protein Day

Last but not least: 1 day of pure protein (PP) a week. That is the guarantee you will not gain weight. On this one day, you can only eat the foods allowed in the Attack phase.

It's just one more effort, that goes a long way, to support your new, healthy weight. It's best to chose a Thursday, as it's usually the least busy day, without the weekend guests or the Monday cravings.