Scarsdale Diet

Full Name: Scarsdale Medical Diet

Origin: Created in the 1970's by a family doctor and cardiologist named Herman Tarnower

Description: Extremely restrictive, calorie-reduced, low-carb diet

Likes: Fruits, vegetables, cheese, lean meats, coffee, diet drinks

Dislikes: Alcohol, oils, butter, peanut butter, bread, sandwich meats, beans and legumes

Looking for: Dieter who is desperate to lose weight and willing to follow a strict diet

Works Well With: Caffeine and appetite suppressants

This extreme weight loss diet has been around for some time, and continues to reemerge in the dieting scene. The Scarsdale Diet is a very strict low-carb diet that consists of mostly fruits, vegetables and lean meats. This rigid 14 day meal plan calls for three meals a day - snacks are not allowed. It is supposed to put you in a state of ketosis (switching your body into fasting mode) by limiting the amount of carbs consumed. The use of caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and herbal appetite suppressants are all encouraged on this diet.

This rigid meal plan discourages exercise and strenuous activities. Your caloric intake is drastically reduced on this diet, which means you won't have an adequate supply of energy to fuel your body. However, due to the reduced protein intake you can end up losing muscle mass, which should definitely not be the goal of any weight loss plan.

After following this regimented diet for two weeks, you move on to the maintenance plan. This phase is a little less restrictive and calorie-limited, but is still quite confining. You will lose weight on this diet, but you'll also be incredibly hungry and agitated while following it! The food choices are very bland and restrictive and leave little room for creative substitutions or alternatives. Also, you'll need to drink all the coffee and tea you can, as this diet will leave your energy levels extremely low.