The Scarsdale Diet was created in the 1970’s by medical practitioner Dr. Herman Tarnower.  Being an expert in dealing with obesity, Dr. Tarnower used the medical phenomenon of ketosis (producing excess ketones; the residual “ashes” or “embers” of fat burning found in alcoholics and diabetics) with a MD-designed food program to lose weight. Basically this diet is a low carb diet with grapefruit consumption and appetite suppressing pills. It is a 7-14 meal day plan outlining the types of food to be consumed at 3 meals per day. Snacks are prohibited.

Though the menu plan may be easy to follow, most users have complained of fatigue and extreme hunger. It also shows poor results in long term weight loss as well as no maintenance meal plan is stated after the diet. A crash diet for short term only and once the diet is stopped, the weight is restored. The Scarsdale Diet has become one of the most popular weight loss programs in the world. The diet is a one to two week program that is made up of 43 percent protein, 22.5 percent fat, and 34.5 percent carbohydrates.

One of the major advantages of the Scarsdale Diet is its speed—it tends to yield incredibly quick results. This is due to the fact that it relies on radically reduced calorie consumption. Scarsdale recommends using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar in order to reduce calorie consumption. Dieters may also use herbal appetite suppressants in order to cut down on their food cravings. The Scarsdale Diet can provide you with rapid weight loss over the short term. Of course “weight” does not mean “fat” in this case… your weight loss will be comprised of water, lean muscle, and fat tissue.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Benefits:

A strict meal plan or guide is provided for the dieter to follow to lose weight.

Pros -

• Menu plan is detailed
• Popular and successful all over the world

Cons -

• Too excessive for others
• No maintenance plan included