The Scarsdale Diet Will Help You Shed Pounds in Just 2 Weeks
The clean-eating plan that kickstarts weight loss.
If you’re in need of a kickstart to help you shed some weight, the Scarsdale diet may be the plan you need. For this diet, you restrict calories by eating mostly protein for a maximum of two weeks, which makes it a good option if you’re going to a wedding or on a vacation and want to lose a few pounds first.
The Scarsdale Diet for Weight Loss
The Scarsdale diet is a weight loss plan created in the ’70s by Herman Tarnower, MD, a cardiologist who practiced medicine at the Scarsdale Medical Center in New York. Dr. Tarnower developed the plan after many of his patients with heart problems complained that other diets weren’t helping them lose weight.
The main component of the Scarsdale diet is that it requires you to drastically cut down on calories and carbohydrates for a short period of time (between seven and 14 days) and focus mainly on protein. You’re allowed three meals per day (no snacks) consisting of 43 percent protein, 22.5 percent fat, and 34.5 percent carbs, while consuming a lot of water and other beverages like tea, black coffee, and diet soda. The focus on protein specifically is said to help with calorie-restriction, and you’re only allowed 1,000 calories per day (hence the rapid weight loss) regardless of your current weight and calorie-intake.
Other foods you should avoid on the Scarsdale diet include:
- fatty meats such as sausage and bacon
- any type of dairy with fat
- all types of potatoes
- rice
- juice
- beans and lentils
- avocados
- chocolate
- dessert foods
- alcohol
Foods you can consume freely on the diet include:
- cantaloupes
- grapefruit
- peaches
- mangoes
- papayas
- tomatoes
- spinach
- celery
- carrots
- radishes
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- lettuce
- lean meats such as chicken, lean beef, and turkey
- nonfat dairy foods
- eggs
- water, tea, black coffee, and diet soda
- seasonings like salt, pepper, herbs, vinegar, lemon
- condiments like soy sauce, mustard, and ketchup
It’s important to note that the Scarsdale diet may help with short term weight loss, but it’s not intended for long term use since it requires extreme restriction of important nutrients like fiber and fat. Just as well, high-protein, low-carb diets used over time have shown to have negative effects on heart health, gut health, and may pose other risks.
That being said, if you’re looking to train your body to cut back on calories while adopting a more healthy eating routine, this plan could be the golden ticket. For more information on the Scarsdale diet and a sample menu to get you started, check out scarsdalediet.com!
Here’s to a healthier, happier you!
This story originally appeared on our sister site, First for Women.
