Diet scardale: Scarsdale Diet: Overview, Benefits, and Downsides

Scarsdale Diet: Overview, Benefits, and Downsides

The Scarsdale diet was popular in the late 1970s.

Based on a top-selling book by Dr. Herman Tarnower — a cardiologist located in Scarsdale, NY — the diet promised up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of weight loss in under 2 weeks.

With its extreme restrictions and “quick fix” ideology, the Scarsdale diet has been met with tremendous criticism by the medical community.

Still, you may wonder if this diet really works and whether it’s right for you.

This article reviews the benefits and downsides of the Scarsdale diet to show whether scientific evidence supports it.

Rating score breakdown

• Overall score: 1.25
• Weight loss: 1.0
• Healthy eating: 1.0
• Sustainability: 2.0
• Whole body health: 0.0
• Nutrition quality: 2.5
• Evidence-based: 1. 0

BOTTOM LINE: The Scarsdale diet slashes your calorie intake to only 1,000 per day using a strict list of approved foods. Its focus on quick weight loss and extreme restrictions make it difficult to follow long term, as well as dangerous.

The Scarsdale diet started as a two-page diet sheet made by Tarnower to help his patients lose weight for better heart health.

After many individual success stories, Tarnower published the book “The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet” in 1979.

The diet allows a mere 1,000 calories per day regardless of your age, weight, sex, or activity levels. It’s heavy in protein, consisting of 43% protein, 22.5% fat, and 34.5% carbs.

The diet also forbids snacks and numerous healthy foods, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, avocados, beans, and lentils.

Tarnower died 1 year after the book’s publication. Shortly thereafter, the Scarsdale diet was heavily criticized for its extreme restrictions and unrealistic weight loss promises. As such, the book is no longer in print.

Summary

The Scarsdale diet focuses on protein-heavy meals but limits you to 1,000 calories per day. The book it’s based on is no longer sold or promoted due to the various dangers of this eating pattern.

The rules of the Scarsdale diet can be found in Tarnower’s book “The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet.” Though it’s no longer in print, some copies are still sold online, and some unofficial Scarsdale diet websites list its details.

The main rules include eating a protein-rich diet, restricting yourself to 1,000 calories per day, and following a limited list of approved foods. You are forbidden from any snacks except carrots, celery, and low sodium veggie soups, which are only to be eaten when necessary.

You must drink at least 4 cups (945 mL) of water per day but can also enjoy black coffee, plain tea, or diet soda.

Tarnower emphasized that the diet is only intended to last 14 days, after which you transition to the Keep Slim program.

Keep Slim program

After the 14-day initial diet, you’re allowed to introduce a few banned foods, such as bread (up to 2 slices per day), baked goods (as a rare treat), and one alcoholic beverage per day.

While you’re still expected to follow the list of approved foods, you’re allowed to increase your portion sizes and calories to allow more flexibility.

Tarnower suggested following the Keep Slim program until you notice your weight increasing. If you regain weight, you’re instructed to do the 14-day initial diet again.

Summary

The diet’s initial phase lasts 14 days and is so restrictive that almost all snacks are banned. You then transition to the Keep Slim program, which is slightly more flexible.

A small selection of foods is permitted on the Scarsdale diet. As you’re only allowed 1,000 calories per day, it’s crucial that you monitor your portion sizes and stick to the approved foods.

Although it seems contradictory, the diet recommends that you eat until you’re satisfied.

Foods to eat

Foods allowed on the diet include:

• Raw, non-starchy vegetables: bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, green beans, leafy greens, lettuce, onion, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini
• Fruits: choose grapefruit whenever possible; otherwise apples, blueberries, cantaloupes, grapes, lemon, lime, mangoes, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, starfruit, strawberries, and watermelon
• Wheat and grains: only protein bread is permitted
• Meat, poultry, and fish: lean beef (including hamburger), chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, and cold cuts (except bologna)
• Eggs: yolks and whites but prepared plain — without oil, butter, or other fats
• Dairy: low fat products, such as 2% milk, cheese slices, and cottage cheese
• Nuts and seeds: only six walnut or pecan halves per day, on occasion
• Seasonings: most herbs and spices are permitted
• Beverages: unsweetened black coffee, tea, and water, as well as zero-calorie diet soda

Foods to avoid

The Scarsdale diet forbids numerous foods, including many healthy ones like sweet potatoes, avocados, beans, and lentils. There are no stated reasons why these foods are prohibited.

Though grapefruit was originally the only fruit allowed, updated versions now permit most fruits — but reserve them as a treat.

• Vegetables and starches: beans, corn, lentils, peas, potatoes (white and sweet), pumpkin, and rice
• Fruits: avocado and jackfruit
• Dairy: full fat dairy including milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Fats and oils: all oils, butter, ghee, mayonnaise, and salad dressings
• Wheat and grains: most wheat and grain products (e.g., bagels, bread, breakfast cereals, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, pancakes, pasta, pita bread, pizza, sandwiches, tortillas, and wraps)
• Flours: all flour and flour-based foods
• Nuts and seeds: all nuts and seeds except walnuts and pecans (in limited amounts)
• Meat: highly processed meats, such as bologna, sausage, and bacon
• Sweets and desserts: all sweets and desserts, including chocolate
• Processed foods: fast food, frozen food, potato chips, premade dinners, etc.
• Beverages: alcoholic beverages, artificially sweetened drinks, most fruit juices, soda, and specialty coffees and teas

summary

The Scarsdale diet limits you to a small list of approved foods. Many foods high in carbs or fat are banned.

The Scarsdale diet’s main claim is that it can help you lose 20 pounds (9 kg) in 14 days via a protein-rich, low calorie diet consisting of mostly lean meats, eggs, low fat dairy, leafy vegetables, and some fruit.

Since the diet permits just 1,000 calories per day — well below the recommended calorie intake for any adult — you will likely lose weight.

That’s because weight loss depends on a calorie deficit, which means that you burn more calories than you take in (1).

However, adult men and women need 2,000–3,000 and 1,600–2,400 calories per day, respectively. The 1,000 daily calories prescribed by the Scarsdale diet puts most people in a daily calorie deficit of 1,000–2,000 calories (2).

To compensate for the drastic decrease in calories, your body will begin to use fat, muscle, and glycogen stores as energy (3, 4).

Glycogen is a stored form of carbs that holds large amounts of water. As your body uses up glycogen and muscle stores, it releases water, causing a dramatic drop in weight (4, 5, 6).

Plus, the Scarsdale diet recommends that 43% of your daily calories come from protein. High protein diets have been shown to promote weight loss by aiding fullness, but they’re less effective in tandem with very low calorie diets like this one (3).

As such, you will likely lose weight during the first 2 weeks of the diet. However, very low calorie diets paired with extreme food restrictions are unsustainable and likely lead to weight regain once you stop dieting (7, 8).

Even with the Keep Slim maintenance program that’s slightly more flexible, few foods are allowed and calories are still restricted. Therefore, few people can expect to sustain this diet long term.

Though you may lose weight quickly, most medical experts agree that rapid weight loss is unhealthy and unsustainable. Instead, you should adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as portion control, healthy cooking techniques, regular exercise, and stress management.

Summary

The Scarsdale diet is very low in calories, which likely leads to short-term weight loss — mostly from water weight rather than fat. You’ll likely regain the weight once the diet is over.

Despite its unrealistic weight loss promises, the Scarsdale diet has a few redeeming qualities.

It’s simple and straightforward for those who are looking for exact instructions, which take away the second-guessing that many diets involve.

Furthermore, it promotes high protein foods alongside vegetables at each meal. Depending on your routine eating pattern, this may improve your diet quality.

Finally, the Scarsdale diet is quite cheap and doesn’t require expensive food or equipment.

Summary

Though the Scarsdale diet is ridden with flaws, it’s straightforward, encourages high protein foods, and is relatively inexpensive.

The Scarsdale diet has numerous downsides and side effects that may endanger your health. As such, it’s best to avoid the diet.

Highly restrictive

To follow the diet correctly, you must eliminate many foods, including several nutritious options.

This diet leaves little room for flexibility and other important aspects of eating, such as cultural traditions and celebrations. If your meals become less enjoyable and even overwhelming, the diet will be difficult to follow long term (3).

In many cases, restrictive eating may damage your ability to control your food intake or increase your risk of overeating (9, 10).

The best diets are those that allow all foods in moderation, provide the optimal amount of nutrition through whole foods, and are easy to follow long term (3, 11).

Encourages yo-yo dieting

You’re meant to follow the Scarsdale diet for 14 days, then the Keep Slim maintenance program. However, you’re supposed to return to the Scarsdale diet if you begin to regain weight.

This recommendation proves that the diet is not only unsustainable but also prone to weight cycling, likewise called yo-yo dieting. This pattern involves a constant cycle of quick weight loss followed by weight regain (12).

Weight cycling can be harmful both physically and mentally, as it may lead to a slower metabolism, increased risk of weight regain, poor body image, and disordered eating thoughts and behaviors (12, 13, 14).

Vilifies calories

The Scarsdale diet emphasizes calorie intake over nutrition.

In fact, it may lead to nutrient deficiencies given its dangerous requirements to eat a meager 1,000 calories per day and eliminate entire food groups like whole grains, starchy vegetables, avocados, full fat dairy, nuts, and seeds.

Plus, the diet promotes the false belief that all calories are inherently bad. Rather, diets rich in nutrient-dense foods, which may be high in calories, are linked to a lower risk of obesity, mortality, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and certain cancers (15, 16, 17, 18).

Therefore, you should focus on nutrient quality rather than calories. Try to follow a diet full of nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods for healthy weight loss (3).

Prioritizes weight loss over health

Rather than improving overall health, the Scarsdale diet focuses on extreme food restriction and near-starvation techniques to trigger rapid weight loss.

The basis of the diet is that weight loss is paramount to health. Yet, adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as eating nutritious food, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing stress, may improve overall health with or without weight loss (3, 11, 19).

Sadly, this diet fails to recognize that your health is more than just a number on the scale.

Summary

The Scarsdale diet promotes unnecessary food restrictions, dangerously slashes your calorie intake, is unsustainable, and prioritizes weight loss over health.

The Scarsdale diet recommends eating the same breakfast each day and drinking lukewarm water throughout the day. Snacks are banned, but you’re allowed carrots, celery, or low sodium veggie soups if you can’t wait until your next meal.

Furthermore, you aren’t permitted to cook with oils or other fats and cannot add spreads to your protein bread.

Here’s a 3-day sample menu for the Scarsdale diet:

Day 1

• Breakfast: 1 slice of protein bread (no spread), half of a grapefruit, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Lunch: Salad (canned salmon, leafy greens, and vinegar and lemon dressing), plus fruit, as well as black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Dinner: Roast chicken (no skin), spinach, half of a bell pepper, string beans, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda

Day 2

• Breakfast: 1 slice of protein bread (no spread), half of a grapefruit, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Lunch: 2 eggs (no fat), 1 cup (162 grams) of low fat cottage cheese, 1 slice of protein bread (no spread), plus fruit, as well as black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Dinner: a lean hamburger (a large helping allowed), salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery) with lemon and vinegar dressing, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda

Day 3

• Breakfast: 1 slice of protein bread (no spread), half of a grapefruit, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Lunch: assorted meat slices, spinach (unlimited amounts), sliced tomatoes, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda
• Dinner: a grilled steak (all fat removed — a large serving allowed), Brussels sprouts, onions, half of a bell pepper, and black coffee, tea, or diet soda

There’s limited information on portion sizes, though to ensure you stay within the 1,000 calorie limit, you probably need to keep portion sizes small for all foods besides leafy greens and proteins.

Summary

The Scarsdale diet recommends small meals comprised of protein and veggies, and it encourages you to eat the same breakfast each day. No snacks, spreads, or high fat foods are allowed.

Though the Scarsdale diet was popular in the 1970s, it’s rarely promoted today.

While you may lose weight rapidly, the diet is extremely restrictive, low in calories and nutrients, and ultimately unsustainable.

If you’re looking for long-term weight loss, you’re better off following a diet comprising whole, minimally processed food and a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress management.

Diet Plan, Rules, Benefits, & Research

The Scarsdale diet is a specially designed high protein, 1000 calorie diet, and has shown to produce results in a short amount of time.

This diet was first created by Dr. Herman Tarnower, to help his patients lose weight and improve overall heart health.

However, this diet has been criticized widely for its low calorie requirements and restrictions, and disregarded by health experts due to its inflated weight-loss claims.

Continue reading this blog to find out all the hype and criticism around this popular diet.

Jump To: 

Who Created The Scarsdale Diet

What Is The Scarsdale Diet?
What Is The Keep Slim Program?

Does The Scarsdale Diet Work?

Is The Scarsdale Diet A Medical Diet?

The Scarsdale Diet Plan

What Are The Scarsdale Diet Rules?

What Foods Aren’t Allowed On The Scarsdale Diet?

Benefits Of The Scarsdale Diet 

Downsides Of The Scarsdale Diet

Key Takeaway

Who Created The Scarsdale Diet

The Scarsdale diet started out in the 1970s as a two-page document, created by Dr. Herman Tarnower, a cardiologist, in Scarsdale, New York.

After hearing numerous success stories from patients who followed his diet plan, Dr Tarnower published a book titled “The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet Plus Dr. Tarnower’s Keep-Slim Program” in 1978.

The book gained popularity quickly, largely due to its claims of being a quick-fix to losing weight.

Source: NY Times

However, Dr. Tarnower died a year after the book was published, and there are several rumors and scandals surrounding it, which further fueled the popularity of this diet.

What Is The Scarsdale Diet?

The Scarsdale diet consists of a very strict diet plan that allows 1,000 calories per day, regardless of gender, body size, and activity level of the individual.

This diet is 14 days long, and each meal is defined, without allowing any sort of substitutions to the meal plan.

The diet is heavy in protein consumption and allows the individual to consume 43% protein, 34.5% carbs, and 22.5% fat.

This diet disallows the consumption of various snacks and healthy foods such as potatoes, rice, avocados, lentils, and beans.

Water consumption during this diet should be at least 4 cups per day, and other liquids like diet soda, black coffee, and plain tea can also be consumed.

This diet is not meant to be continued after 14 days, however, one can transition into the Keep Slim program, outlined by Dr. Tarnower.

Keep Slim Program

This program is a more relaxed version of the Scarsdale diet. It allows the consumption of foods that were banned earlier, such as bread (not more than 2 slices per day), baked goods (occasionally), and not more than one alcoholic beverage per day.

While there’s still a list of approved foods to be consumed in this program, there is no such restriction on the amount of calories and portion sizes to be consumed.

If one notices weight gain while following this program, they are advised to shift back to the initial 14-day diet plan.

Find The Right Diet For You:

Does The Scarsdale Diet Work?

Much of the hype created around this diet was because of Dr. Tarnower’s bold claim that one can lose approximately 20 pounds (9 kg) through this 14-day meal plan.

The diet is purportedly supported around the science of putting one’s body in a caloric deficit state, in which the body burns more calories than it consumes.

Numerous calorie-restrictive diets, like the Code Red Diet, only work until the calorie deficit is maintained.

The moment you transition back to a normal diet or excess caloric intake, the weight has a high chance to return.

Hence, the restriction of consuming 1,000 calories per day may lead to weight loss, as it is well below the recommended calorie intake for adults.

The daily recommended calorie intake for adult men and women is 2,000-3,000 and 1,600-2,400 calories respectively.

Hence, this diet puts people in a caloric deficit, and the body uses fat and muscle to produce energy.

This diet focuses on high protein consumption, and research suggests that such diets can promote weight loss.

However, such diets are less effective if paired with an overall low caloric consumption.

In a nutshell, one may lose weight within the first 2 weeks of this diet, however, the restrictive nature of this diet is a factor that can’t be ignored.

The combination of low caloric diets and extreme food restrictions are considered to be unsustainable and can lead to weight gain once the individual stops dieting.

Is The Scarsdale Diet A Medical Diet?

Although this diet was created by a cardiologist, it was never upgraded in line with the updated dietary guidelines of the USDA (US Department of Agriculture).

As per the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, it is recommended that adult men and women consume 45-65% of calories from carbs, 20-35% of calories from fat (more focused towards healthy fats), and 10-35% calories from protein, along with 22-34 grams of dietary fiber per day.

However, based on the guidelines of the Scarsdale diet, one is required to consume 43% of calories from protein, 34.5% of calories from carbs, and 22.5% of calories from fat.

Furthermore, fat intake should be primarily from saturated fat, which is considered to be unhealthy, while fiber consumption is low.

Lastly, USDA recommends a reduction of 500 calories per day for those who are trying to lose weight.

Since the recommended level of consumption is approximately 2,000 calories per day, this accounts for roughly 1,500 calories for those looking to shed extra pounds.

On the contrary, the Scarsdale diet recommends daily consumption of 1,000 calories per day, which means a reduction of approximately 1,000 calories from the optimal level of consumption.

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The Scarsdale Diet Plan

The Scarsdale diet consists of a strict, 14-day meal plan. It is recommended to eat the same type of breakfast every day, and drink lukewarm water throughout the day.

Here is a sample meal plan which can be followed for the first week of the diet:

Breakfast Every Day

• One-half grapefruit, or any fruit available
• One slice of protein bread, toasted, without any spread
• Coffee /tea (without sugar, cream or milk, no honey)

Day 1

Lunch

• Tomatoes – sliced, broiled, or stewed
• Assorted cold cuts
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• Fish or shellfish, any kind
• Single slice protein bread, toasted
• Combination salad, with any kind of vegetables
• Grapefruit, or any fruit available
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 2

Lunch

• Fruit salad, any fruit available
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• Plenty of broiled, lean hamburger
• Tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives (max. 4), cucumbers and/or Brussels Sprouts
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 3

Lunch

• Tuna fish or salmon salad (without oil) with lemon and vinegar dressing
• Grapefruit, or melon, or any fruit available
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• Sliced roast lamb, visible fat removed
• Salad made of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 4

Lunch

• Low-fat cottage cheese
• Two eggs, any style (no fat used in cooking)
• One slice of protein bread, toasted
• Zucchini, or string beans, or sliced/stewed tomatoes
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• Large quantity of spinach, green peppers, string beans
• Roast, broiled or barbequed chicken (skin and visible fat removed before eating)
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 5

Lunch

• One slice of protein bread, toasted
• Assorted cheese slices (preferably low-fat)
• Spinach
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• One slice of protein bread, toasted
• Fish or shellfish
• Combination salad (any fresh vegetables desired, raw or cooked)
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 6

Lunch

• Fruit salad, any combination of fruits
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner

• Roast turkey or chicken
• Salad of tomatoes and lettuce
• Grapefruit or fruit in season
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Day 7

Lunch

• Cold or hot turkey or chicken
• Tomatoes, carrots, cooked cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower
• Grapefruit, or fruit in season
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

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
• Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

What Are The Scarsdale Diet Rules?

In his book, Dr. Tarnower has clearly stated that those individuals who are either pregnant or suffering from medical problems must not follow this diet without the approval of a physician.

Apart from this, there are certain rules to be followed while an individual is on this particular diet, which are as follows:

• Vegetables like peas, lentils, corn, potatoes, and beans (except green and waxed beans) are not permitted in this diet.
• It is recommended to eat food until one is satisfied, but overeating is not allowed.
• Snacks that can be consumed between meals include carrots and celery.
• Seasonings and sauces like salt, ketchup, chili sauce, vegetable spray, and mustard, are allowed but should be consumed sparingly.
• Cooking food with seasonings like herbs and spices, minced parsley, and grated onion is recommended.

What Foods Can You Eat On The Scarsdale Diet?

A list of foods that can be consumed on this diet are as follows:

• Cheese and eggs
• Limited vegetables
• Meat, cold cuts, poultry, seafood
• Nuts
• Fruit (especially grapefruit)
• Protein bread
• Black coffee, tea, water, diet soda

What Foods Aren’t Allowed On The Scarsdale Diet?

A list of foods that should be avoided on this diet are as follows:

• Pasta, most bread, flour-based foods
• Sugar and sugary treats
• Butter, salad dressing, avocado, and most other fats
• Potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, beans
• Alcoholic beverages
• Full fat milk

Benefits Of The Scarsdale Diet

Despite its inflated claims, there are certain benefits associated with this diet, that are described as follows:

Simple & easy to follow

The rules of the diet are fairly simple and easy to follow. Each meal is outlined which mostly includes only two to three foods, without any room for substitutions.

A meal plan is provided beforehand which removes the need to plan the diet beforehand.

Inexpensive 

Due to the simplicity of the diet, the meals consumed are fairly inexpensive and can be easily found in supermarkets.

Furthermore, foods are consumed in limited quantities, which also ends up saving costs.

No long-term commitment

Since the diet itself is 14-days long, there is no need for a long-term commitment towards the meal plan.

Downsides Of The Scarsdale Diet

However, the drawbacks of this diet clearly outweigh the benefits associated with it.

Highly restrictive diet

One of the biggest flaws of this diet is its highly restrictive nature, which also eliminates the consumption of nutritious meals. There is less flexibility associated with this diet, which makes it difficult to stick to in the long term.

Extremely low in calories and limits carbohydrates

As mentioned above, one is allowed to consume only 1,000 calories per day, which is way below the recommended consumption requirement for healthy adults. Hence, this diet may lead to nutrient deficiencies in the long run.

Furthermore, it limits the consumption of carbohydrates and fibers during the two-week period.

Not sustainable 

The strict diet plan with its restrictions and limitations makes it unsustainable for individuals to follow.

Key Takeaway

The Scarsdale diet gained popularity due to its heightened weight-loss claims, which were appealing for those looking to lose weight in a short period of time.

While it may have its benefits, one must critically consider and evaluate the potential downsides associated with this diet.

All in all, it is a quick, short-term diet, which may be beneficial for certain individuals.

However, lifestyle changes and following a healthy diet is a more sustainable option for those who want to maintain their weight.

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which diets are easy to lose weight on

We have analyzed thousands of reviews, hundreds of menus and dozens of comments from professional nutritionists and calculated which diets are not only effective, but also easy to follow!

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Some modern diets are useful and affordable and effective for health, but they have a big drawback — it is absolutely impossible to sustain them.

After a couple of days on such a diet, you begin to snap at those around you who dare to eat in your presence, then you see cakes and sweets in your dreams, and after a few days you break loose and eat everything that you could find in the refrigerator. And all because the diet may be good, but it is too difficult to sustain it. You can, of course, train willpower, but it is better to choose the right diet. We tell you how easy it is to lose weight and not break loose in the process: our top easy diets!

1. Protein diet

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The basic principle of the easiest and most effective diet for weight loss — no fats, fast carbohydrates, no sweets, starchy foods, alcohol, no fruits and cereals. Lean meats, fish, game, vegetables, and unsweetened beverages can be consumed in virtually unlimited amounts.

The main plus of protein diets is that you will never go hungry, the restrictions will not affect substances vital for the body, you do not risk getting anemia, feeling weak and dizzy due to malnutrition. In a word, the simplest and easiest diet — especially for those who prefer a piece of meat over chocolate.

The main disadvantage is that this easy way to lose weight «beats» the kidneys, so it is absolutely not suitable for everyone who does not have them in perfect condition. And even absolutely healthy people, while following a protein diet, are advised to drink more water so that the body is not oversaturated with protein. In addition, you need to make up for the lack of vitamins that you normally get from fruits.

Nutritionists recommend a protein diet for no longer than 14 days.

Example of a protein diet: alternating a protein and protein-vegetable day

Protein day:

• For breakfast — protein omelette with greens and salmon.
• Low-fat yogurt for the second breakfast.
• For lunch — boiled meat or chicken
• For an afternoon snack — boiled shrimp
• For dinner — salmon or lamb steak
• Before going to bed — kefir

Belkovo — vegetable day:

• Zucchini fritters for breakfast or scrambled eggs with green onions, tomatoes and bell peppers
• Lunch: low-fat cottage cheese with herbs
• Lunch: tuna salad with vegetables
• Snack: vegetable salad
• Dinner: grilled meat with stewed cabbage

9000 2

2.

Separate nutrition according to Shelton

Carbohydrates need an alkaline environment to break down carbohydrates, while proteins need an acidic environment. Accordingly, they need to be eaten at different times! This principle formed the basis of the easiest diet for the lazy, which is especially appreciated by those who like to eat often and plentifully. After all, there are no restrictions, the main thing is to group the products!

The only thing Shelton suggests giving up is milk. Otherwise, you can independently form a diet using the food compatibility table. One of the easiest diets for fast weight loss!

3. Aromatic Diet

Aromatherapist Alan Hirsch noticed that some smells stimulate appetite, and some reduce.

His recommendations for the easiest diet for weight loss are simple: before eating and every time you feel hungry, you need to inhale the essential oils of mint, lavender or rose, or smell an apple or a banana.

4.

BEACH, or protein-carbohydrate alternation diet

Protein diets are not suitable for everyone: many people simply do not eat enough proteins and see croutons or their favorite potatoes in their dreams. If you cannot imagine life without carbohydrates, pay attention to the protein-carbohydrate alternation. This is the easiest diet for losing weight at home: you don’t have to count calories, but you can eat everything… but not always.

The diet consists of protein days, when you sharply limit carbohydrates and consume fats in moderation, and days when you can eat carbohydrates (better, of course, complex ones), proteins are allowed in moderation, but fats must be limited. The description seems complicated, but in practice this is one of the easiest diets for effective weight loss. Just remember, if you’re eating something fatty today, you’re restricting carbs and leaning on protein. And on the day when you allow yourself carbohydrates, you must refrain from fatty. Everything is simple!

5.

Intermittent fasting

Oddly enough, many find it easier not to eat at all than to eat little. If you feel the same way, then why not try intermittent fasting? This is one of the easiest diets at home, its essence is to eat a smaller part of the day, and refrain from eating for the most part, i.e. starve. To begin with, try not to eat for 16 hours, then you can increase the time without food.

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Diet for weight loss: We will tell you what to remove from the diet to lose weight

The topic of weight loss is shrouded in myths and bad advice that undermines health and does not lead to results. Together with Spirit expert. Fitness We are talking about a healthy weight loss system that does not injure the body and inevitably leads to weight loss for both women and men.

What foods to eat for weight loss

Let’s take an example. Oleg bought a brand new BMW and wants his car to go fast and the engine to work properly. He went to forums for car enthusiasts, read life hacks and began to implement them:

• I began to refuel according to the method of interval refueling: instead of a full tank once a week, it pours 7 times a day for a liter.
• Then Oleg filled the car for a week with only water to clean the fuel tank from slag.
• And then he completely drained the oil from the engine to eliminate all fats and reduce the weight of the car.

When Oleg ruined the car, he opened the manufacturer’s strict recommendations and found out that you need to refuel with 100th gasoline and change the oil every 10 thousand km. End.

All this sounds absurd. But when it comes to nutrition, we do exactly the same thing. For example, we are on a keto diet, we try intermittent fasting, we exclude fats from the diet, we arrange a protein diet for ourselves, and so on. At the same time, scientists have long discovered the recommendations of «our manufacturer», here they are:

Eat exactly the amount of food your body needs to lose weight

Our body is like a car — it needs a certain amount of calories in the right ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And if you fill it with the right fuel, the body will inevitably begin to dump fat reserves without loss to health.

But how and in what quantity you need to eat in order to lose weight, let’s look further.

What kind of food can be called right

If you were looking for something about weight loss, you most likely came across this:

And also:

❌ «Don’t eat after six!»
❌ “Just two slices of lemon will help you lose weight on this diet in 7 days…”
❌ “To lose weight quickly, it is enough to give up only two products …”

Advertisers and nutritionists offer hundreds of fast weight loss diets, unique weight loss techniques, magic pills and miracle cures. But all this has little to do with healthy weight loss. With the help of diets for a month, you can really lose weight, but if you do it extremely and without sports, the body will first respond with a rapid decrease in kilograms, and return everything back with a margin. In order to always control your weight, you need to understand food once, so that later all your life you can easily select food for the needs of your body.

Proper nutrition is a diet in which the body receives food in terms of its calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And such a nutrition system inevitably leads to weight loss.

2 steps of good nutrition:

1. You determine your daily calorie intake
2. Eat this caloric content in the ratio of 50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 20% fats.

You can eat any food at any time of the day. There is no forbidden food: chocolate is allowed, burgers and potatoes in butter too. The main thing is to fit into the KBJU. At the same time, when you start eating like this, you yourself will imperceptibly switch to a clean diet. Instead of fast carbohydrates — cereals, instead of pork kebab — chicken breast kebab.

This will happen because you will see how along with the carbohydrates in the bun you eat a lot of excess fat, and this cute bun violates your 50/30/20 ratio. But cereals are dominated by carbohydrates. If you don’t have enough of them, you put on buckwheat and don’t worry that you will sort out fats with it.

On proper nutrition, buckwheat and rice are eaten not only because they have a low glycemic index and are so healthy, but also because you can’t get carbohydrates with chocolate without going over with fats.

As a result, when you get the right amount of calories in the right ratio of BJU, your body begins to work like a well-oiled Swiss watch mechanism: it stops crashing, storing fat, stressing, throwing out insulin chaotically, or making you salivate on some unhealthy cake in the morning. It just starts working properly, as intended by nature. And as a result, you get a slender healthy figure.

How to calculate your calories for weight loss

If you find counting calories and sticking to the right CBJ ratio too much of a chore, consider this: you brush your teeth twice a day and don’t find it terribly boring and difficult. The same with the calculation of KBJU, but one time more. You only need to put a plate on the scale three times a day and put the right amount of food. Another simple habit in the piggy bank of a healthy lifestyle.

Calculate calories. There are several formulas for calculating calorie intake, but the American Dietetic Association considers the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula to be the most accurate. Be sure to calculate the calorie content before you start building a diet for weight loss. What suits one person may not suit another at all.

Lena works as an accountant in the office. From a friend who works out with a trainer, she heard that in order to lose weight, you need to eat 1600 calories a day. Lena began to eat the same way, but in two months she did not lose such food at all. It turned out that the calorie content of a friend was calculated, adjusted for high physical activity, and Lena sits all day in the office. Its calorie content for weight loss is 1300 calories.

You don’t need to count calories all your life. When you get rid of extra pounds, it remains only to maintain the desired weight. By that time, you will have enough experience in selecting food, and you will be able to eat by eye or use the plate rule:

Source: Government of Canada website

Register your diet for weight loss in FatSecret

This app for iPhone and Android helps you keep track of your meals and count calories. Many products from stores are already in the application database and can be easily found in the search. But it may not be easy to find the products themselves … But let’s not talk about sanctions.

This athlete stared at the news at breakfast and accidentally chewed on an extra pound of cereal.

Challenge: Find foods that can add protein in a way that reduces the proportion of carbohydrates and at the same time not too much with fats.

Tip: When looking for a product in the database, check the FatSecret CBJU and the product label. The FatSecret database is filled with ordinary users who can make mistakes.

How many times a day you need to eat

There are a huge number of myths on the Internet that frequent eating speeds up metabolism and, as a result, fat burning. This theory has no evidence base, and recent studies show that metabolism hardly changes from 20 to 60 years.

Therefore, the number of meals can be any. The main rule to follow is not to bring yourself to the feeling of hunger. And this is confirmed by the study: those who eat 5 times a day experience less hunger. At the same time, most people do not have time for such a number of meals, and the body is not used to it. Therefore, we recommend starting with three meals a day and adding one meal each week.

How not to lose weight diet

Observe ratio. Diets have taught people that losing weight is torture: you have to constantly starve, dream of a cake and suffer from the fact that you cannot afford your favorite food. All this only increases the likelihood of a breakdown.

In proper nutrition, you can eat any food, but along with this, when you establish nutrition in the correct ratio of BJU, you will not have an irresistible desire to destroy any cake.

This also happens because complex carbohydrates (cereals, vegetables) have a low glycemic index. Such products do not provoke the release of insulin, and a person feels full longer than after eating a pie. As a result, the body will receive enough nutrients and stop making you salivate for any harmful stuff.

Set mode. The meaning of proper nutrition is not only not to eat more than the norm, but also not to eat less. If you eat haphazardly, the body does not receive enough nutrients and urgently needs to close the calorie content with a carbohydrate cake. For example, when you decide not to eat in the morning because you don’t feel like it, you don’t have time in the afternoon because of work, and in the evening before training you eat a protein bar. The body is horrified.

Avoid alcohol. Even from a glass of dry red wine once a week. Alcohol and weight loss are incompatible things. As soon as a person on proper nutrition begins to drink alcohol, the weight stops going away.

Stop nicotine. Nicotine reduces the feeling of hunger and this interferes with the diet. It may seem that this is a good thing. You smoke more — eat less. But with proper nutrition, you will need to eat not a small Snickers, but large volumes of cereals. For example, at a rate of 1500 calories per day, you need to eat 700 grams of boiled buckwheat. And without appetite to master this volume is not so easy.

How much water to drink

There is no exact figure for how many liters of water you need to drink to be healthy. And the obligatory 2 liters of water a day is a marketing myth. The WHO representative recommends drinking at least a liter, because otherwise — dehydration. For the rest, listen to your body, activity level and thirst.

To understand your comfortable amount of water, drink a glass of 250 ml every hour, starting in the morning. So, for a working day, about two liters come out. Drink another 0.5-1 liter during your workout, depending on how you sweat. All this time, listen to your feelings and adjust the volume of water.

Some people also have a decrease in appetite due to the large amount of water, so you need to look for a comfortable level through experimentation and a gradual increase.

1400-1500 calorie weekly healthy diet for weight loss

We will give you a ready-made diet, but we advise you not just to eat it, but to weigh all the foods and enter the data into FatSecret. At this stage, you almost do not have to look for suitable products yourself. It remains only to add products to the application and monitor the calorie content of dishes — it is much easier to start mastering the nutrition system. If there is no product in FatSecret, look for its calorie content on the package and on the Internet.

If you see that the diet is out of proportion 50/30/20, add your products! We’ve left a few Easter eggs for you: some days you’ll need to find foods on your own that will help you keep the proportion. We wish you delicious!

Day 1

Slimming Breakfast

• 2 soft or hard boiled eggs
• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Slice of whole grain bread
• Curd cheese 40 grams
• Tea

Overshot

• Cottage cheese 1% 150 grams
• Half banana
• Cinnamon to taste

Lunch

• Brown rice or buckwheat 60 grams dry
• Minced chicken breast 160 grams (2 cutlets, bake without oil)
• Vegetables

Snack

• Banana, apple
• 10 hazelnuts

Supper

• Fresh vegetable salad 250 grams
• Teaspoon of oil
• Turkey breast 150 gr raw (baked without oil or boiled)

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Day 2

Slimming breakfast

• Oatmeal 50 gr dry
  Pour boiling water, cover for 5 minutes
• A teaspoon of honey
• Berries, fruits
• Tea

Second breakfast

• Yoghurt 100 grams
• 1 apple

Lunch

• Pasta durum varieties 150 grams dry
• Chicken goulash 100 gr
• Vegetable salad

Snack

• Cottage cheese casserole 150 grams (syrniki)
  Better cook it yourself to control the oil: 150 grams of cottage cheese, 1 egg, 20 grams of rice or oatmeal

Supper

• Greek Salad
• tomatoes;
• cucumber;
• pepper;
• olives;
• cheese;
• Fish 150 grams, baked in the oven

---

Day 3

Slimming Breakfast

• Omelet from 2 eggs
• Half a teaspoon of oil
• Greens
• Green tea

Second breakfast

• Whole grain bread 30 grams
• Hard cheese 40 grams
• A glass of kefir 1%

Lunch

• Vegetable soup 200 grams
• 1 egg

Snack

• Curd 2% 150 grams
• Cinnamon to taste

Supper

• Pollock 150 grams, baked
• Bulgur 60 grams dry
• Vegetables

For the rest of the week repeat the menu.