A diet that really work!

[pebble35]

Hello everyone,

Here are two diets that really work and have stood the test of time.  The first one, you can lose up to 20 lbs in the first 2 weeks.  I have done this one several times; you only do it two weeks at a time.

It is easy, and low carb.

The classic Scarsdale Diet

Rules of the road:
    Drink at least 4 glasses of water or diet soda per day.
    You can add the following to your foods: herbs, salt, pepper, lemon, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, mustard & ketchup

	DAY 1
Everyday BREAKFAST	coffee or tea with sugar substitute & 1/2 grapefruit   1 slice protein toasted Bread
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	Plenty of broiled, lean hamburger Tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives (limit 4), cucumbers and/or Brussels Sprouts

	DAY 3
LUNCH	tuna salad + grapefruit or melon
DINNER	Sliced roast lamb, all visible fat removed   Salad of lettuce, tomatoes ,cucumbers, celery

	DAY 4
LUNCH	Two eggs, any style (no fat used in cooking)   Low-fat cottage cheese   Zucchini, or string beans, or sliced/stewed tomatoes
DINNER	Roast, broiled or barbequed chicken (skin and visible fat removed before eating)   Plenty of spinach, green peppers, string

	DAY 5
LUNCH	Assorted cheese slices (preferably lowfat) Spinach, all you want, One slice of protein bread, toasted Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water
DINNER	Fish or shellfish   Combination salad (any fresh vegetables desired, raw or cooked) One slice of protein bread, toasted

	DAY 6
LUNCH	fruit salad (as much as you want) + 1 coffee
DINNER	Roast turkey or chicken   Salad of tomatoes and lettuce   Grapefruit or fruit in season and coffee

	DAY 7
LUNCH	Cold or hot turkey or chicken Tomatoes, carrots, cooked cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower Grapefruit, or fruit in season
DINNER	Plenty of broiled (grilled) steak, all visible fat removed before eating; any cut of steak you wish- sirloin, porterhouse, London broil, etc. Salad of lettuce, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes (sliced or cooked) Brussels Sprouts

Finding a weight loss diet that suits you will depend on how much weight you want to lose, what your lifestyle is like and whether you are very health conscious, thereby making sure that you are getting all the nutrients you need in your daily diet.

Remember, you want to feel healthy and look great.

http://www.scarsdalediet.com/scarsdale-diet-meal-plan.html

Scarsdale Medical Diet – Substitute Lunch

If you wish, you may substitute the following lunch for any lunch, any day, on the Scarsdale Medical Diet.

  One half cup low-fat pot cheese or cottage cheese, mixed with one tablespoon of low-fat sour cream
  Sliced fruit, all you want
  6 halves of walnuts or pecans, whole or chopped, and mixed with above or sprinkled over the fruit
  Coffee/tea/no-sugar diet soda of any flavor

[SunsetRunner]

Any of the "high protien" or "high fat" diets, are very dangerous, sometimes deadly.

If you do it for a short time, there will be rapid weight loss, but at the expense of muscle mass, and

when you stop, you will gain weight much more quickly than before, due to less muscle tissue.

To lose weight and keep it off, there is no better "diet" than The Pritikin Diet, a program for diet and

exercise. This is a world renowned, medically recommended, long term usage, health program.

Buy the book (available on Amazon), and visit ther website: https://www.pritikin.com/

[Christine-R]

It soes work but it is almost impossible to do any physical activity on it. there just isnt any energry for it. And watch out when you start eating regualry again

[Willpower]

The Scarsdale Diet was designed for the morbidly obese ! It is possible to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks if you are obese-although most of this is water.  I am a retired 62 year old and have used many diets-Atkins, South Beach, Dukan, Nutrisystem, and Weightwatchers. All worked on the short term. WW is the best by far-as it is a lifestyle.  I lost 40 pounds in the last year using WW.  WW is very slow-yet healthy for you.  It is also expensive !  I started using the Fitbit Zip on 1/1/2015 and have lost 17 pounds as of today.  I use their software-which is excellent BTW, I still use several WW recipes.  What has worked for me is eating healthier and increasing my activity.  This past week,  I averaged 18,000 steps per day-which really makes a difference in combination with healthy eating habits.  I would not recommend the Scarsdale diet to anyone-especially if they are not under medical supervision.

[_daniel_]

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@Christine-R wrote:

It soes work but it is almost impossible to do any physical activity on it. there just isnt any energry for it. And watch out when you start eating regualry again

---

That's the kicker with these extreme diets. They are completely unrealisitic as a long term eating plan, and as soon as you start eating normally again, the weight comes back. 

I believe it is much better to lose weight slowly with a healthy eating plan that you can sustain year in and year out. 

[Kimorl]

I have found the 17 day diet to be a good one to follow.  It is higher in protein in the beginning, but you start introducing carbs in the second cycle and even more in the 3rd cycle.  I am currently in the 2nd cycle, but I have lost 12 lbs so far. 

I find it isn't difficult to follow, and they do have an exercise plan for you to follow that is pretty easy to fit into a schedule -- most you can even do at home.

[CSB54]

To each their own, for ME,  I follow an eating plan I can do for life.  Yeah the weight loss is slow, but for me it's less stressful.  I really dislike any "diet" that forbids any food group even if it is short term.  Been there, done that,  yes they work, until ya start eating "normal" again.  But for some people the quick weight loss is a great motivator, and if that's what it takes to get ya going, go for it!  

[SuperStephSteph]

You should check out the book "Smart People Don't Diet", it has some great tips for life long weight loss! One of the best things I've learned over the years is that "low fat" is almost never a good thing to eat. For instance with the low fat cheese you suggest you have to take into account that to make it "low fat" they typically end up removing a lot of the nutrient value and replace it with sodium so even though you might see a temporary weight loss for it in the long term you're not doing anything good for your body. Remember fat doesn't make you fat!!!

For me the only thing that has ever helped me to lose weight is to change my lifestyle to include nutrient rich foods, and to limit my calorie intake while also increasing my activety level. Also drink a ton of water! Personally I'd way rather have an ounce of really great full fat full calorie cheese than to have 4 ounces of sodium filled "healthy" cheese. Also I'd way rather have a full calorie coke once or twice a month than to have a diet soda every day, but that's just me. Sorry if I sound too preachy I'm just a big proponene of eating whole foods in a smaller quantity thant eating sucky diet foods lol. 

[Knowledge]

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@yarddog wrote:

Any of the "high protien" or "high fat" diets, are very dangerous, sometimes deadly.

If you do it for a short time, there will be rapid weight loss, but at the expense of muscle mass, and

when you stop, you will gain weight much more quickly than before, due to less muscle tissue.

To lose weight and keep it off, there is no better "diet" than The Pritikin Diet, a program for diet and

exercise. This is a world renowned, medically recommended, long term usage, health program.

Buy the book (available on Amazon), and visit ther website: https://www.pritikin.com/

---

Can you show me some sources to back up those statements? The medical literature in the past decade or so has switched on what we know. Cholesterol is not the demon we've been led to believe, and fat is far from the worst macronutrient we can consume. Several studies have shown a high-fat low-carb diet actually can prevent the most loss of muscle mass compared to a low-fat high-carb diet. I can provide you with sources to those studies if you would like. I would suggest you look into a few authors of relevance such as Dr. Robert Lustig a Pediatric Neuroendocrinologist that studies the toxic effects of Fructose on our bodies, as well as Dr. Stephen Sinatra (a renowned Cardiologist) and Dr. Jonny Bowden who have authored books on the Cholesterol Myth and the realities of a high-fat diet.

[PaleoCrossfit]

Starving yourself or shoving a toothbrush down your throat work too. Doesn't make it healthy.

[HelenaFitbit]

Those are great tips @SuperStephSteph ! Consistency always wins the race 

[JoanneY]

Re:  17 Day Diet :  I am following this diet currently.  I feel better than I have in months, and find it is not hard to exercise at all on it.  Nearly done with cycle 1, and have improvised where and when needed for special occasions (like tonight, we ARE having corned beef and cabbage for St. Pat's- just no potatoes....)  

I have had tremendous success so far.  I am on  Day 11, down 12 pounds.  I am also in a weight training regimen to compensate for the possibility of losing muscle mass, and the added issue I have that I am over 50, and also have a bad knee.  

Funny, since I have been walking again, my knee has not been hurting as much.   As I say, I have been dropping, but my fat ratio is also droppping.  Given what I am seeing even to date with my measurements, and strength gains, I am not losing muscle mass.  

I did weight watchers.  I did an elimination diet a Dr. gave me. Both worked short term.   I did this diet back in 2012, and lost nearly 70 pounds.  Yes, I am losing the same weight again, unfortunately, but that is ONLY because I stopped following the plan.  

Their maintenance plan (Cycle 4) is a plan that can be a lifestyle plan for every day eating.  For me, I HAVE to watch starches and carbs.  I am not diabetic, but find I am my best and feel better when I avoid those things.   Congrats on your results so far!     

[jwis86]

I see the words any amount in there a lot.  So If I consume 6000 calories of fruit and meat, I'm going to lose weight?  Amazing!  /sarcasam off

[sydneysas]

While losing 20 pounds in 2 weeks is great and all, diets like these are designed to lose loads of weight in a short amount of time - only for the person to go right back to eating junk food when that short time span if over. If you really want to do a fat-crushing diet like that, try the Whole30. In fact, the Whole30 is more of a lifestyle. They have a website, and I'm sure they explain it far better than I will, but you basically eat fruit, vegetables, meat, and nuts. No beans, no sugar (even honey), no carbs, no flour, nothing. I've been doing it for a couple of months now and lost 10 pounds in my first week of it. Not only has it helped me to lose weight, but I also feel amazing becasue I'm eating only fresh foods and nothing processed. Cutting out sugar also helped me to start craving fruits and vegetables, especially carrots. Not looking for a fight about how "inaccurate" I am, only trying to help out here 🙂

[Dominique]

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@sydneysas wrote:

No beans

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I must say I don’t understand that part. Paleo people are also against beans. Beans (especially when you buy dry ones) are cheap, incredibly healthy, high in protein, have fiber.

This is what the Whole 30 web site says: 

"Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin)."

And here is why you shouldn’t eat these:

"Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life."

Sorry, but  just fail to see why eating beans, lentils and peanut butter (which I do all the time) would stop me from having a "healthy metabolism". And I don’t see any scientific evidence backing that claim.

The only good thing I can see in that diet is that it only lasts for 30 days, so people can quickly get out of this non-sense 😉

[emili]

I think there is a lot already here, but here is my biggest issue with this..

 "I have done this one several times; you only do it two weeks at a time"

If you change the way you eat, consistently, forever, you don't ever have to put yourself through this. The fact that you have done it several times points and illustrates perfectly that it doesn't work. If it did, you wouldn't have to do it several times.

Diets are short term solutions to long term problems. Finding how much you should eat and what you should eat are the only safe and long term solutions to a healthy weight.

[sydneysas]

The point of the Whole30 is to take out foods that could have adverse effects on your body. Legumes are one of these foods because they don't exactly agree with our systems. They cause inflammation in our midsection and can be the cause of joint pain, along with other carbs. It's why there's medicine such as Bean-o. 

[Esya]

@Norbert920

When you are that addicted to food (which is not uncommon) I would suggest to consult a psychologist to work on changing your relationship with food instead of introducing another dependency.

[MVibe]

@Dominique

I've read a few things which 'claim' to have supportive scientific evidence re: Beans, Legumes etc.

Disclaimer: I personally enjoy a lot of these foods and have never had any issues both digestive & metabolic so I take not notice. But...........

Apparently, although they contain lots of healthy substances, they also contain 'anti nutrients' - it has been said that these 'anti nutrients' can mess with digestion and the absorption of other nutrients. This however, is due to the toxins ( phytic acid ) that are present in them in their raw state ( and nobody of sound mind eats them this way )

If you're buying them raw, ( I just buy tinned - like chick peas, black eyed beans, kidney beans, butter beans etc etc ) The soaking and proper prep is all they need anyway and the healthy aspects of them far outweigh any residual 'toxins' left over.

Aside from that, I call BS on that. Where's the evidence to support the statement that beans & legumes cause systemic inflammation? People read anything on the Internet these days and just believe what they read unequivocally. I'll continue to eat beans & legumes when I feel like some and enjoy my peanut butter. ( Whole Earth Peanut Butter  is great 🙂 )

This whole 'diet' thing though, isn't that even the wrong thing to call it, or to even view it as that? It implies something temporary or some sort of restriction. Why not forget that word completely and consider yourself to be making lifestyle changes? For me personally, it just makes more sense and doesn't feel as though I'm 'on' something.

I don't see what I eat now as anything specific, I just choose to avoid certain foods or cooking methods and found that as well as a calorie deficit / calorie counting to be what lost me 2.5 stone. I'm at a healthy weight for my height now but just carry on eating how I have been for the last 8 months or so. I wouldn't say I ate 'bad' before, but I'd have the odd pizza, cake, biscuits, chips etc and all the bad things whilst also eating real healthy stuff. Eventually, over a long time I put on weight slowly but surely. Main thing though, was feeling bloated all the time, esp in the morning. I'd feel like my stomach was constantly full and it was uncomfortable. What I cut out was sugar, pastries, deep fried foods, processed carbs like white bread, white pasta, white rice etc. As a meat eater I cut out processed meat, sausages, salami, ham, hot dogs, anything like that.

Now I'll eat fish, lean poultry like chicken skinless chicken breast, I have the odd steak or roast beef but mainly poultry. I eat eggs, poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast is a fav breakfast of mine. Plenty of fresh veg, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, kale etc etc. I am not a great potato fan but still have the odd new potato boiled in their skins. All salad foods, fruit in moderation, if I have rice it's wholegrain and I'll eat beans and legumes. Cottage cheese, olives, avocado's, quark, yoghurt.

There's a lot more in each of those groups obviously but I just go by if the foods are in their natural state and unprocessed. That's not a 'diet' to me, it's just a choice to remove processed junk food. What was eye opening was how much more I was able to eat once those high calorie junk foods were eliminated. So much so that I deliberately add calorie dense healthy foods to ensure I am eating enough calories because at first I was too full up and hadn't even eaten near my BMR. Over the last few months, I've totally ditched alcohol too. I was a sucker for a few beers down the pub but I've noticed I suffer too much with it and I feel like crap for at least 2 days so I just thought, why bother at all?

If you're eating foods that are as natural as possible, you can't go wrong.