The Duke Diet is an all-round health program, only a part of which is weight loss. This program consists of diet, fitness, medical expertise, and behavioral strategies.
This plan did not come out of nowhere: the Duke Diet has its roots in the Duke Diet and Fitness Center Residential Program, which was founded in 1969. This ancestor of the online Duke Diet is a costly one (over $7000 a month), while the online version only requires a book and a membership. Supposedly, the program will make you lose 3 pounds of weight every week.
Basic Ideas
The people behind the Duke diet plan are inclined to call it a self-care plan, rather than a diet plan. A big part of the diet are common sense factor, which are backed by information and guidance from experts. The meal plan is customized for every person according to their personal needs. A meal planner and recipes are available to those following the diet, so as to help them develop healthy eating habits.
The fitness part of the plan is essentially the use of predetermined exercise routines, which can be modified to an extent. There are also behavioral methods used to aid in the psychological part of following the diet.
The Duke Diet provides many forms of support, including experts, forums, weight loss tools, etc.
Exercise Component
Exercise plays an important role in the Duke Diet. You get to make a choice from a number of predetermined routines and modify them to fit your needs. As to what the exercise is like, typically it involves cardio and strength training. Exercise videos and library will walk you through the whats and the hows.
Food
The Duke Diet plan is not a good choice for those who have a serious lack of time, because most of the food has to be bought and prepared by the dieter. The great thing about the diet part of this plan, is that virtually nothing is completely off limits – the key to success is moderation, rather than avoidance.
The diet is based around 6 food groups, namely healthy carbs, healthy fats, proteins, dairy, vegetables, and fruits. Using these groups the followers have to eat 3 meals every day and one or two snacks. The meal plans are created by the experts at Duke.
Over a period of time on the diet, you (re)learn healthy habits. Your intake of calories will be reduced and you will adjust to the requirements of the diet. This should serve you well long term, making it easier to choose healthy food options.
Practicality
There are four components to integrate into your life, and it may take the average person at home some time to utilize all four in a meaningful manner. You are also responsible for cooking your own meals, rather than buying commercially prepared diet foods, but the meal planning and recipe database will assist you. Overall, you should have a pretty easy time if you do your homework, read the book, and use the web site to its full extent.