The Scarsdale Diet

The Scarsdale diet was developed by Dr. Herman Tarnower, a New York physician and Samm Sinclair Baker, in 1979. This low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet is still popular today. The Scarsdale Diet specifies a very specific diet which is supposed to be followed exactly for two weeks. The Scarsdale diet is primarily for people looking to lose twenty pound or less and who want to lose it fast. The Scarsdale Diet is 43% protein, 22.5% fat, and 34.5% carbohydrates. Most people lose weight on this diet because of the lack of calories- which many consider to be unhealthy. It is also easy to eat an unhealthily high level of fat on this diet. This plan is also low in many vitamins and minerals. Scarsdale is simple to follow as it has meals plans mapped out for you. All you have to do is stick to them.

Here's a sample week on the Scarsdale diet, to give you an idea:

Breakfast Every Day

coffee or tea with sugar substitute & 1/2 grapefruit

• Day 1

  Lunch

  any amount of lean beef, chicken or fish + tomato salad + coffee or tea
  

  Dinner

  broiled fish + tomato and lettuce salad + grapefruit or melon

• Day 2

  Lunch

  any amount of fruit salad + coffee
  

  Dinner

  hamburger (without bread) and all the cooked vegetables you desire

• Day 3

  Lunch

  tuna salad + grapefruit or melon
  

  Dinner

  2 lean pork chops + mixed green salad + coffee

• Day 4

  Lunch

  2 eggs + cottage cheese + 3 oz. squash + 1 toast + coffee
  

  Dinner

  chicken ( grilled or broiled w/o skin ) + spinach or green pepper + coffee

• Day 5

  Lunch

  all the dry cheese you want + spinach + 1 toast
  

  Dinner

  broiled fish + cooked veggies or green salad + 1 toast

• Day 6

  Lunch

  fruit salad (as much as you want) + 1 coffee
  

  Dinner

  broiled chicken w/o skin + tomato and lettuce salad + grapefruit or melon + coffee

• Day 7

  Lunch

  cold or hot chicken + tomato & lettuce salad + grapefruit or melon + coffee
  

  Dinner

  lean beef + mixed salad + coffee

Do's and Don't of The Scarsdale Diet

Do drink coffee. You can have unlimited amounts of sugar-free cola, black coffee, or unsweetened tea. Your must use sugar substitutes in beverages.

Do eat breakfast every day.

Do prepare salads without oil or mayonnaise.

Do snack all you want, as long as it's only on carrots or celery.

Don't bother eating out- there's nothing on the menu you could eat.

Don't drink alcohol until you reach your goal weight, then you are allowed one drink each day.

Don't eat butter or more than two sliced of bread each day.

Don't stay on the diet for more than 14 days.